Family of Ingush woman faces threat of deportation from Poland to Russia

The authorities of Poland refused to provide asylum to Rakiat Kodzoeva, a native of Ingushetia, and her children. The woman faces deportation to her homeland, despite statements by human rights defenders about the threat of fabricating a criminal case against Rakiat Kodzoeva in Russia.

Rakiat Kodzoeva and her four children have been seeking political asylum in Poland since 2017. Her husband Iznaur Kodzoev was a son of Ingush writer Issa Kodzoev. In 2004, the law enforcement bodies accused Iznaur Kodzoev of participating in an attack on the Nazran GUVD (Chief Interior Department) and of participating in the seizure of a school in Beslan on September 1, 2004. Rakiat Kodzoeva denies any involvement of her husband and his relatives in the activities of militants.

The woman left Ingushetia in 2016 with her children. “We lived in Belarus for a year, and in November 2017, we were allowed into Poland ... Our first refusal of asylum came in 2020 ... All these years we have been appealing the refusals. The Polish authorities agree that our lives were in danger, however, they do not see the same threats at present,” said Rakiat Kodzoeva.

Rakiat Kodzoeva noted that information about the Kodzoevs’ involvement in militants “is an outright falsification” and can only come from materials of the Russian law enforcement bodies.

Petitions in support of Rakiat Kodzoeva and her children were repeatedly sent to the Polish migration authorities by Russian and international human rights organizations. In particular, the Human Rights Centre (HRC) “Memorial”*, the “Civic Assistance” Committee**, and the Ingush human rights centre “Mashr” spoke out in defence of Rakiat Kodzoeva and her children.

So, Svetlana Gannushkina**, the chair of the “Civic Assistance” Committee**, reported that during the seizure of the school in Beslan, Rakiat Kodzoeva and her children themselves were actually held hostage by law enforcers. The information that the Rakiat Kodzoeva’s husband was among the militants in Beslan has not been confirmed.

*The Human Rights Centre (HRC) “Memorial” was included in the register of non-commercial organizations performing the functions of a foreign agent and was liquidated by court’s decision. After the liquidation of the Human Rights Centre in June 2022, the “Memorial” Centre for Defence of Human Rights was created.

**Included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) into the register of foreign agents.