The Chechen authorities helped bring back to Russia 8 children, the youngest of whom is six months old. Some of the children arrived together with relatives while others were met by family members at the airport. The children were earlier taken to Iraq by their parents from different regions of Russia (Chechnya, Khanty-Mansiisk Autonomous District, Tver Region) and Kazakhstan.
Ms Kuznetsova, together with Speaker of the Chechen Parliament Magomed Daudov, Chief of Staff of the Republic Head and Chief of Republic Government Staff Vakhit Usmayev, Chechnya Children’s Rights Commissioner Khamzat Khirakhmatov, and family members met the children as they disembarked from the plane.
Swift measures were taken jointly with the relevant agencies to organise the necessary paperwork and assistance. Ms Kuznetsova proposed that two children from Nizhnevartovsk and Tver be taken to Moscow shortly to spend time in rehabilitation centres there before returning to their native towns.
“We met the children to share with their families the joy of their return”, Ms Kuznetsova said. “I hope that today will herald a new and happy stage in their lives. Today, not only children from Chechnya and Dagestan, but for the first time, children from other parts of Russia have returned home from conflict zones. They will receive all necessary aid and support in their hometowns, and I ask the regional children’s rights commissioners to provide full assistance”.
Ms Kuznetsova met the previous evening with Head of the Republic of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov to discuss further steps for the children’s return.
