Zhovkhar got refugee status in Finland

The well known Chechen folk music singing group Zhovkhar applied for refugee status in Finland last September. Recently, the Finnish Refugee Authorities granted all 17 members of the group permanent residence status.

When the group decided to ask for asylum, the puppet authorities in Chechnya reacted very harshly. The minister of culture of the puppet regime called personally to several members of the group asking them to come back, and he told publicly that the group had been fooled to ask for asylum. The main reason for these actions was the plan to arrange an "international" culture event in Dzhokhar (Grozny) with as much as 3.000 invited guests, and the Zhovkhar group was planned to have the main performance. Due to Zhovkhar turning aside, the whole event was cancelled.

In Finland, almost all Chechen refugees are granted residence permit, getting also possibilities to the social and economical benefits. The chief of the Finnish Immigration Service has publicly announced, that a Chechen coming from Chechnya by definition is in need of protection, and will be granted refugee status and residence permit.

Mikael Storsjo, who arranged the Zhovkhar group to Finland confirms this information.

• There is in our news media some information about Kadyrov's Potemkin villages, but it does not fool people who are informed. Chechnya is regarded as "the worst of the worst" regarding human right situation all over the world.

Finland has recently accepted also to take care of some Chechen refugees from Poland, although the Dublin agreement allows Finland to send them back to Poland. Storsjo tells about the reason:

• Poland does not have the resources or will to take care of the refugees that have to escape Russian oppression. Finland gives the refugees a decent life; a roof, money to buy food and education for their children. I hope more Chechens would find their way to Finland, here you are welcome. 

Mikael Storsjo was in June the major organizer of FINROSFORUM, the Finnish-Russian Civic Forum. Chechnya and Caucasus was one main topic of this meeting. Among the speakers were Anzor Maskhadov (the son of Chechnya's assassinated president), Mairbek Vachagaev (envoy of Maskhadov, nowadays a doctor and writer about North Caucasian issues), Magomed Yevloev (owner of web site ingushetiya.ru) and  Ruslan Badalov (chair of the Chechen Committee of National Salvation in Nazran).

• We had a very good conference. Many people of knowledge shared their experiences with us. It gave new inspiration to continue work for the decolonialisation of Caucasus. There were some doubts about Amir Dokka Umarov's proclamation of the Caucasian Emirate last year, and some odd people as Zakaev tried to do his best in saving his own position. Nowadays it seems for me that the idea of Caucasus as an entity under the leadership of the Amir is quite accepted, tells Storsjo.

• I am very sorry about the situation when "Chechens have to kill Chechens", as some former freedom fighters complain situation of today. On the other hand, I know that the freedom of Finland was built upon good Finns putting the bad ones aside. Marshal Mannerheim once said during our freedom war, that a people who can't get their freedom themselves is not worth freedom. I think this applies to the Chechen nation and all suppressed peoples in Caucasus as well. Don't wait for foreign help - do it yourselves!