03.23.2014 Sled.net.ua
Translated by Paweł Łapiński and edited by Voices of Ukraine
Source: http://sled.net.ua/node/12817

The Chairman of the Mejlis [of the Crimean Tatar People], Refat Chubarov, estimated information about the presence of Chechen fighters in Crimean units as reliable.

He made this statement in an interview with “ZN.UA.”

Chubarov commented on a number of rumors that are exaggerated in the media: that Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov is being appointed Putin’s unofficial supervisor [overlord] of Crimea; that units of Chechen fighters were seen at both Chonhar and at military recruitment offices, that they were holding activists as hostages, and that they were at the checkpoint of the Marine corps military base in Feodosia; that Crimean resorts are to be rehabilitated by Chechen billionaire Baysarov; about members of the “Crimean militia” being told to prepare for a semi-annual trip to Chechnya.

“I believe that we should prioritize the specific information that is provided by eyewitnesses. If we talk about the military recruiting office, where people were illegally detained, and we hear about specific soldiers from certain regions of Russia and how they treated hostages, then the information is credible, “- said Chubarov.

“If we talk about certain overseers being appointed in Crimea, and we know their names, then we must understand that this issue is being discussed. And it is most likely, that from the Russian side, a number of mechanisms will be deployed in order to complete the task,” – he says.

According to the Chairman of the Mejlis, he did not have any contacts with Chechens in Crimea or with specific people in Chechnya. There were only telephone calls between Mufti Muslims in Crimea with Muftis of different regions in Russia, including Chechnya, and on their own initiative.

“So once again I will say it: that all means will be used within a lot of different levers – covert and overt, formal and informal – in order to accomplish the task of fully incorporating the Crimean community,” – said Chubarov.