FURTHER SUPPORT CABLE FOR SHARPUDI ELFIROVITCH ISRAILOV

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C O N F I D E N T I A L OSLO 000460

NOFORN

SIPDIS

FOR CA/VO/F/P (GARY CORSE, MARY EILEEN EARL),DRL (WENDY

SILVERMAN, EDWARD GRULICH, SUSAN CORKE),EUR/NB (H. MARTIN

MCDOWELL, ALAN MELZER, ROBERT GILCHRIST)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/24/2019

TAGS: PHUM, RU, NO

SUBJECT: FURTHER SUPPORT CABLE FOR SHARPUDI ELFIROVITCH

ISRAILOV

REF: A. OSLO 412

B. OSLO 435

C. CORSE/SOMMERS EMAIL 7/22/09

Classified By: Political/Economic Counselor Cherrie Daniels for reasons

1.4(b) and (d)

1. (SBU) In order to provide decision-makers with further

information concerning the Special Public Benefit Parole Case

of Sharpudi Elfirovitch Israilov, and in response to

questions posed in ref C, post would like to provide the

following information:

MR. ISRAILOV'S CURRENT LEGAL STATUS IN NORWAY

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2. (C) Mr. Israilov entered Norway under the country,s

refugee quota, administered by the Immigration Directorate

(UDI),in response to an application filed by the Norwegian

Helsinki Committee (NHC). The status determination procedure

was finalized after his arrival in Norway, and he received

political asylum (the highest degree of protection available).

WHY MR. ISRAILOV IS LEAVING HIS FAMILY IN NORWAY

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3. (C) While he has been in Norway, he has divorced. His

ex-wife and his two younger children no longer live with him,

but he continues to live with his eldest son. The family has

learned Norwegian, are becoming integrated into Norwegian

society, and do not want to move again. The family believes

that the security risk is much lower for them than for Mr.

Israilov. Mr. Israilov (as well as the NHC, and Post)

believe that the danger to Mr. Israilov is due to his case

pending before the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and

therefore once the case is concluded he can return to Norway

(a wealthy country with extensive social benefits and very

low unemployment).

WHY NORWAY WILL NOT PROVIDE SUFFICIENT PROTECTION

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4. (C) Post has not discussed this case with the host

country government for a variety of reasons. Norway is a

very small country (less than 5 million people) with a

substantial Chechen community (5000-8000 people) which makes

/>it difficult for Mr. Israilov to hide. Assassinations in the

UK and Austria indicate that Russian and Chechen special

services operate in Western Europe. The assassination of Mr.

Israilov,s son in Vienna was particularly brazen. Norway

has little experience with international organized crime, and

has very limited resources. Police are stretched

particularly thinly. In Norway, crimes such as burglary are

not routinely investigated due to the lack of police

capacity. Norwegian government officials are aware of the

threats to Mr. Israilov, and their response has been to issue

him a beeper, so that he can beep the police if he gets into

trouble. Obviously, this is woefully inadequate given the

methods used by Chechen or Russian assassins in other

European countries (and in Russia). Although the country

does have a "witness protection" program, Mr. Israilov does

not qualify because he is a witness in a European court in

France rather than a Norwegian court. Mr. Israilov,s son

was assassinated in Vienna for filing a very similar

complaint in front of the same court. He was kidnapped from

his house and then shot.

5. (C) In this particular case, a tiny local police station

in central Norway is in charge of the security arrangements

and receives advice from the local office of the security

police (PST). The head of the local police have told the

Norwegian Helsinki Committee (NHC) that they are "following"

the case and will take new measures "if anything happens."

This is, in the opinion of Post and the NHC, inadequate. In

the opinion of the NHC, Human Rights Watch, Freedom House,

and the other NGO,s working on this case, Mr. Israilov would

be much safer in the United States. Post agrees with this

assessment.

WHY THIS CASE IS OF CONCERN TO THE US GOVERNMENT

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6. (C/NF) While Norway supports Human Rights generally and

does not approve of Kadyrov,s use of torture and

assassinations in Chechnya, post believes that Norway is

unwilling or unable to do what is necessary to protect Mr.

Israilov. Post feels this is a US government concern because

Mr. Israilov,s case before the European Court of Human

Rights represents one of the only legal challenges to the

disturbing impunity manifested by Russia and especially

Chechnya towards journalists and human rights activists, as

manifested by last week,s brazen assassination of Natalia

Estemirova, which was front page news in major newspapers in

the United States and worldwide. The issues of concern in

this case have nothing to do with where Mr. Israilov is

living. USG interests will be just as much disadvantaged

regardless of where Mr. Israilov is living if he is

assassinated. His son was living in Austria, and his son,s

assassination came after repeated pleas by his family members

to the Austrian authorities to improve security around him.

Post believes that similar pleas to the Norwegian government

would be similarly without effect, given Norwegian laws,

their lack of resources, and a general attitude of "it can,t

happen here." Of the three individuals to NHC,s knowledge

have come forward with allegations against Kadyrov, the two

others have been killed over the last year (see Oslo 412,

reftel A). Other persons, including lawyers, connected with

those cases have also been killed. The Norwegian Helsinki

Committee has told us that in their opinion, the Israilov

case is "among the most important human rights cases in

Europe." Post believes that parole of Mr. Israilov into the

United States, into the hands of the multiple human rights

organizations that have pledged to support and hide him, is

the most expeditious and effective way the USG can keep Mr.

Israilov and his case alive.

LEGATT ALERTED

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7. (C) The Pol/Econ section has discussed this case

extensively with the Regional Security Office at post, and

they have forwarded on information on the case to the office

of the Legal Attache (FBI) in Copenhagen.

OLSIN-WINDECKER

FURTHER SUPPORT CABLE FOR SHARPUDI ELFIROVITCH ISRAILOV

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