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English Language Page December 1, 2003. At 2:20 a.m., in the settlement of Gikalovsky of the Groznoselsky district representatives of an unidentified federal enforcement structure abducted two local residents: Zelimkhan Khamidovich Bachayev, born 1977, resides at the Teplichnaya Street, and Omar Isayevich Demilkhanov, born 1977, resides at Teplichnaya, 6–1. The houses were surrounded by the military troopers who had arrived in four armored troop-carriers and UAZ and “Ural” vehicles. Zelimkhan and his wife, Elita, were woken up by knocks on the entrance door. Then five or six armed people in masks and camouflage uniforms stormed into the house. They demanded that the Bachayevs get out of bed and produce their passports. Elita showed her papers but it turned out that Zelimkhan had his father’s passport. The woman said that the passports had been misplaced by accident — Z. Bachayev’s father lived next door to them and she said she would go there and fetch her husband’s passport. The troopers beat her up although it was impossible not to notice that she was pregnant. Then they entered the house of Zelimkhan’s mother and father, beat up his parents and took away his passport. After that, without giving Z. Bachayev a chance to get dressed, they took him outside and put him in an armored “Ural” vehicle Together with Bachayev his next door neighbor, Omar Demilkhanov, was also taken away. Relatives of the abducted men saw that the military column headed towards the Starye Atagi settlement. They immediately attempted to seek assistance from the commandant’s office which was located near their houses but their petitions were not responded to. Later, in a private conversation, representatives of the commandant’s office admitted that they had seen the abduction but they were never ordered to interfere and they could not do anything without an order. On the morning of December 1 the parents of the abducted men petitioned to the prosecutor’s office and the police department of the Groznoselsky district. At the same time, in order to draw the attention of authorities the settlers blocked the road leading from Grozny to Shatoi. The picketing site was visited by the prosecutor of the Groznoselsky district and the deputy military commandant of the republic, Ibragim Suleimanov. On December 2 the relatives of the abducted went to Grozny in view of petitioning to the Government of the Republic of Chechnya, but they were never let into the government’s building — an official came out of the public reception room to them and recommended that they should seek assistance at the prosecutor’s office. On December 3 residents of the Gikalovsky settlement went to town and organized a picket at the governmental compound. Security guards attempted to chase them away but did not succeed — a journalist of the Grozny television, Zulikhan, began to videotape what was going on. She was detained, taken to the compound territory but soon released, her videotape no longer with her. Some time later a representative of the governmental administration who did not introduce himself came out to the people but was unable to say anything intelligible. At the same time the picketers managed to have a word with the deputy military commandant of the republic, I. Suleimanov. The latter promised that he would give them a concrete answer as to the fate of the abducted men within the next ten days. After that mothers of Bachayev and Demilkhanov were invited to proceed to the territory of the governmental compound. On the same day the abductors released Bachayev and Demilkhanov, both being severely beaten. It turned out that all that time they had been kept on the territory of the former mill on the outskirts of Satriye Atagi whereat the settlement police department and a subdivision of internal troops of the RF Ministry of Internal Affairs are stationed. December 1, 2003. Representatives of the Urus-Martan police detained resident of the Goity settlement of the Urus-Martan district, Kati Isayevich Khadizov, born 1975, resides on the Mutsayev Street. Several hours later he was released. No sooner did he return back home than representatives of law-enforcement structures came for him again; without introducing themselves or providing any explanations they took him away again in the direction of Urus-Martan. Kati was released on the next day, December 2, 2003. It is not known where he had been kept once arrested for the second time, nor is it known which law-enforcement structure had detained him and on what grounds. According to local residents it was clear that K. Khadizov had been beaten up. However Kati himself does not mention having suffered from violence when in custody. December 2, 2003. Early in the morning the Koltsova Street in the Staropromyslovsky district of Grozny was blocked by representatives of law-enforcement structures who had arrived in an armored troop carrier, and “Ural” and UAZ vehicles. All day long they stood outside not answering local residents’ questions as to the purpose of the operation. People noticed nevertheless, that the troopers paid special attention to the house in which Dzhokhar Dudayev’s sister had previously lived. The house is ruined and currently uninhabited while Dudayev’s sister lives in a different part of Grozny now. Still the troopers accessed the property and inspected the ruins. They did it without special application. It is also known that the troopers visited another house located at Koltsova, 150 in which the family of Muradovs’ lives. The troopers asked the hostess as to who lived in the house and having received an answer left the property without ever explaining the reasons behind their visit. It is not known why the troopers spent the entire day on this street. They had their lunch delivered to them in the course of the day. In the evening they left the settlement. Street residents spent the entire day under a great deal of tension. December 2, 2003. In the afternoon, in Grozny, representatives of an unidentified law-enforcement structure detained Magomed Adamovich Sultanov, born 1979, and took him away in an unknown direction. The passenger route #15 minivan in which he was coming back home was pulled over for documents inspection not far away from the check-point on Khankalskaya Street. Magomed’s parents found out about what happened from one of the minivan passengers. Later it became known that on that day law-enforcement structures of the Chechen Republic were conducting a special operation, “Djamaat,” in several residential areas of the republic. According to some sources two other young men whose whereabouts are also not known were detained in a similar fashion. Two days before, on November 30, in a Grozny downtown shooting, Magomed’s younger brother, Abubakar, had been seriously wounded. He is forcefully retained in Gudermes hospital #2 under observation of the law-enforcers. Magomed’s detention was not the last shock that the Sultanovs family suffered. On the same day, when nothing was known yet about the detention of the elder son, representatives of an unidentified law-enforcement structure drove up to their house in an UAZ vehicle with the license plate number À 0107–95. Some of the troopers blocked the quarter while the others entered the house and demanded from Sultanovs’ daughter, Petimat, where her brothers, Abubakar and Magomed, were. Having not received an intelligible answer from the frightened girl the troopers left the house. At the same time all young people who lived next door were subjected to inspection. On December 3, 2003 Adam Edilovich Sultanov, father of the detained brothers, petitioned to the “Memorial” Human Rights Center requesting assistance in the search of Magomed Adamovich Sultanov. December 2, 2003. Resident of the Gekhi settlement of the Urus-Martan district, Elsa Adiyevna Gaitamirova, born 1973, resides at Budenny Street, 31, received a writ. It stated that she was to come to the Urus-Martan police on December 2, 2003. On December 2 she went to Urus-Martan but never returned back home. Her mother, Roza Khasanovna Gaitamirova, tried to find her daughter. Representatives of law-enforcement structures do not deny the fact that Elsa is in custody but they refuse to discuss what she is being accused of and where she is being kept. December 4, 2003. In Grozny representatives of unidentified law-enforcement structures of the Chechen Republic beat up a young man who happened to drive in his car past the central market. According to the officers the young man had not complied with their order to pull over. Then they opened fire targeted at the car wheels in the most crowded place in the city. When the car with shot-through wheels finally stopped its owner was dragged out of the vehicle and severely beaten up. Passers-by who attempted to interfere were prevented from doing so by officers’ threats. December 5, 2003. At 3:50 a.m. a military column consisting of four armored troop-carriers, several “Ural” trucks, and several UAZ jeeps entered the settlement of Duba-Yurt of the Shali district. The troopers surrounded the house of the Bersanovs located on Podgornaya Street, stormed inside and captured Said-Khussein Bersanov, born 1978. His mother and grandmother rushed to his rescue but were beaten up. The grandmother suffered the most — her arm is seriously injured. Handcuffed Said-Khussein was taken outside without having been given a chance to get dressed, huddled in a military vehicle and taken away in an unknown direction. Sultan Adamovich Khadzhimuradov, born 1964, resides on Sheripov Street, was taken away in the same fashion. His relatives threw themselves in the wake and managed to notice that the military vehicles had passed through the check-point at the Chiri-Yurt settlement and headed towards Starye Atagi. On the next day relatives of Bersanov and Khadzhimuradov petitioned to the police, prosecutor’s and commandant’s offices of the Shali district. On December 6, residents of the Duba-Yurt settlement blocked the road near the Chiri-Yurt settlement, near the bridge over Argun. They were accosted by Sergey Ovchukov, chief criminal investigator of the Shali police department. To the question of a “Memorial” representative as to whether he could confirm that the detainees were being kept by military troopers stationed near the Starye Atagi settlement he responded that he did not have access to that territory. S. Ovchukov also clarified that check-point representatives were not authorized to inspect military vehicles and that they could not even always check troopers’ documents. Settlers decided to continue picketing the road and kept it blocked throughout December 7 and 8. In the Assinovskaya settlement during the inspection of voting stations prepared for the election of deputies of the State Duma of the Russian Federation on the account of mines representatives of the Sunzha police department found a landmine planted in the courtyard of school #3. Sappers were summoned from the commandant’s office. All voting station representatives and school teachers were evacuated from the school building; there were no children in the school as the classes had been canceled from December 4 until the end of elections. Upon a closer examination it was determined that the landmine had been manufactured of an artillery shell filled with small nails and bolts. The sappers could not neutralize the landmine and decided to detonate it on the spot. Nobody was injured as a result of the explosion. It is presumed that the terrorists had been going to set it off on the day of elections, December 7, when people were to come to the voting station located on the school’s premise. Approximately at 6 a.m. special targeted operations began in the Sernovodsk settlement. Some houses were inspected by representatives of Russian law-enforcement structures who had arrived in armored troop-carriers and UAZ vehicles. The troopers examined houses on M. Mazayev, Kutalov, D. Bedny, M. Gorky, and Bolnichnaya streets. Additionally, vehicles and one armored troop-carrier were observed in the Sernovodsk upper settlement. Nobody was arrested. On Kutalov Street the troopers looked for house #30 which belongs to Shakhid Ibragimov. In that house they asked to see Aindi Ibragimov, father-in-law of Khas-Magomed Islamov — “ Abdul-Sabur,” who had been killed in a shooting earlier. In the Sernovodsk settlement representatives of operative investigation bureau #2 of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (ORB-2) arrested Said-Khussein Madiyevich Azarsanov, deputy of the settlement mullah, and took him away directly from his house. In the afternoon ORB representatives arrived at the Sunzha police department whereat the officer-in-charge introduced himself as Arbi and said that he was from Urus-Martan. Then they headed towards the Kalinin Street where S.-Kh. Azarsanov lives. According to Azarsanov’s wife, Sovdash, in the afternoon armed people arrived in several vehicles and asked where her husband was. She answered that he was away at a funeral in Grozny. At around 5 p.m. representatives of ORB-2 came back. This time S.-Kh.Azarsanov was at home and preparing for a prayer. The officer-in-charge took him aside and began to say something to him. Sovdash overheard that after the prayer her husband was requested to go with them to the Sunzha police department whereat he would be asked several questions and then let go. She intended to go with him but was told that there was no room in the vehicle. Then Sovdash rapidly followed the vehicle on foot. She saw that the vehicles did not go to the police but headed towards the Rostov-Baku highway. She told all her relatives about what happened. On the next day they started to search for S.-Kh. Azarsanov at various law-enforcement structures and found out that he was being kept at the ORB. On December 7 the imam of the Sernovodsk settlement, A. Gayev, and several settlement patriarchs went to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. They were allowed to pass a parcel to and speak with Azarsanov. He informed them that he was being treated politely and promised to let go after elections. He was not however released even in the second half of December. Apparently S.-Kh. Azarsanov was detained because he was father-in-law of the liquidated field commander, Arbi Barayev. December 6, 2003. At 11:10 p.m. the voting station located on the premise of the Sernovodsk school #1 was shot at. The fire was opened from automatic weapons from the direction of the park adjacent to the school and went on for two minutes. As a result of the shooting the windows of the room in which the voting station was located were damaged. At the time of the shooting the voting station was being guarded by the police. Nobody was injured. December 7, 2003. In the Prigorodnoye settlement of the Groznoselsky district two teenagers were killed due to a landmine explosion: Yanars Baudinovich Mutaliyev, born 1989, resided on Stroiteley Street, and Islam Rasulovich Khabuyev, born 1988, resided at Pushkina Street, 7. Some time after noon Mutaliyev and Khabuyev received their parents’ permission to go out for a walk. At approximately 3 p.m., not far from the settlement, in the area known among local residents as “Basi,” the sound of a powerful explosion was heard which however nobody paid much attention to. Closer to the evening relatives of the children concerned about their prolonged absence went out to look for them. On that evening they did not succeed in finding Yanars and Islam. On December 8 settlers found the bodies of the children who had gone missing the day before in the area where the sound of explosion came from the night before. The teenagers were killed on the brink of the zone that had been mined at the outset of the second Chechen was by federal forces with assistance of front aviation. The spot is located at a significant distance from the Grozny-Prigorodnoye highway and its mining was absolutely pointless. Once the locale was mined no security measures were undertaken to protect the local population, i.e., the mined area was not isolated from the side of residential areas or identified with special signs. Cattle of Prigorodnoye residents had been killed on this territory repeatedly. For example, one day 32 cows that happened to wander off in that direction were killed simultaneously. As a result, the settlers had almost no pasture land left for their cattle to graze on. The mined territory is also adjacent to the Oktyabrsky district of Grozny. People and animals had been killed their as well. Local residents have repeatedly petitioned to authorities requesting that the mined zone be isolated but their complaints and petitions remain unanswered. Relatives of the killed children together with the precinct police officer-in-charge petitioned to the military troopers stationed near the settlement requesting that the latter ensure a safe passage to the site of explosion. The troopers however refused to participate in this business having referred to the necessity to solicit authorization from the commandant’s office of the Groznoselsky district. Having realized that it was useless to count on any assistance from the military, the relatives accompanied by the precinct police officer made their way at their own risk to the site of explosion and retrieved the bodies of their children. Yanars and Islam were buried at the local cemetery after the investigation group summoned from law-enforcement bodies had completed all the necessary investigation. On December 11 a number of information agencies reported that two teenagers, residents of the Prigorodnoye settlement, had been killed by the explosion of a landmine that they were trying to plant. Relatives of the killed children are outraged by this blatant lie of Russian information agencies. December 7, 2003. At night, in the town of Gudermes, not far away from the place where the election commission on election of deputy of the RF State Duma was located, unidentified individuals murdered a local resident, Yunus Yakubov, who had represented the “United Russia” political party in the capacity of an election observer. He was shot from a firearm on his way home. December 8, 2003. A targeted special operation was conducted in the Gekhi settlement of the Urus-Martan district. According to head of the settlement administration 5–6 units of military machinery, including armored troop-carriers, were utilized in the course of the operation. Some of the representatives of law-enforcement structures who arrived in the settlement were wearing masks. The settlement was not blocked and people could leave its boundaries unobstructed. The inspection was mostly focused on Shkolnaya and Zarechnaya streets. Representatives of law-enforcement structures checked out derelict buildings but they also conducted unauthorized searches in several inhabited houses. Head of the settlement administration is of the opinion that representatives of law-enforcement structures who conducted the operation had grossly violated the order in which such operations were to be undertaken since prior to conducting any such operation the military are to notify first of all the head of the local administration and coordinate their actions with them. The special operation went on for several hours. Nobody was detained. December 8, 2003. In the evening in the Leninsky district of Grozny representatives of one of the law-enforcement structures of the Chechen Republic conducted an armed assault of the temporary placement center for forced migrants located at Kirova, 47. At around 7 p.m. three UAZ and several VAZ-21099 vehicles drove up to the temporary placement center. A large group of troopers in masks came out of the vehicles and headed towards the temporary placement center entrance. They disarmed the security guards at the entrance: the two of them had one pistol and a radio to share — security guards working at this temporary placement center are no long provisioned with automatic weapons following several attacks undertaken against Grozny temporary placement centers with the view of procuring weapons. Then the armed individuals beat up the security guards and headed towards the second floor hitting everyone whom they happened to encounter on their way. Threatening with weapons they forced the temporary placement center residents to squat with their hands behind the back of their heads. Those who failed to comply immediately they hit with the butts of their machine guns knocking them off their feet. These actions were accompanied by rude cursing in Russian. The armed people who installed themselves in the temporary placement center neither identified the structure they were associated with nor explained the goal of their visit to anyone. The troopers distributed themselves throughout the entire temporary placement center building beating everyone they happened to encounter on their way regardless of whether it were a man, a woman, or a child. Below are several examples: Akhmed Saluyev, aged 40. Threatening with weapons the troopers threw him on to the floor and beat him up for his attempt to help a 60-year old woman who had been frightened out of her consciousness. Said-Magomed Chibilyayev, aged approximately 60. He was heavily hit in the shoulder with a machine gun butt for having refused to lie down on the floor. Khava Takayeva, aged 22. The troopers hit her in the face when she stepped out of her room having suddenly heard the noise in the building. Then, poking at her with barrels of their machine guns they forced her to go back into the room. Having knocked out the door to the room in which the Dakayevs family lived, without asking any questions the troopers forced Akhmed Dakayev out and dragged him towards the crowd of the other people. His sisters, Luiza, aged 18, and Elina, aged 15, attempted to find out what was going on but the troopers hit them in their faces several times and then huddled them back into their room hitting them with butts of their machine guns. Zargan Mutayeva, born 1961, was hit in the face when she attempted to pass to A. Dakayev his passport in case there should be an inspection. Imani Visaitova, aged 12, who happened to find herself in the corridor of the third floor, wanted to rush into her room when she saw the strangers in masks, but when the troopers reached her one of them hit her in the face with his hand and shoved her in the side with the barrel of his machine gun so violently that she was thrown and hit herself against the wall. The girl remained in the state of shock for a long time. Some time later a representative of the temporary placement center administration in charge of residents’ registration came out of her room in response to the noise. The troopers rudely ordered her to lie down on the floor but she vehemently refused to comply. Moreover, she declared, “I can see by your eyes that you are Chechen.” After that already in a more civilized manner the troopers ordered her in Chechen to go into her room. Soon, already not hiding the fact that they were Chechens the troopers began to leave the temporary placement center. None of the residents was detained. The security guards received their pistol back and were ordered to stay put. Official authorities of Chechnya did not respond to the incident in any way. According to the victims — residents of the temporary placement center — nobody came to see them afterwards, neither from law-enforcement bodies, nor from the television, nor from the presidential administration; the incident was simply ignored. The temporary placement center residents petitioned to President A. Kadyrov and one of the leaders of the “United Russia” party, F. Klintsevich, demanding that they should be protected from the arbitrariness of the law-enforcement structures. These petitions however remained unanswered. It is necessary to mention that this was not the first armed attack on this temporary placement center. On the night of May 26, 2003 the temporary placement center was surrounded by armored machinery and a large number of military troopers who had arrived from the Khankala military base. The troopers broke into rooms and captured young people who happened to be in. The captives, including several girls, the troopers wanted to take away with them. Luckily, a group of Chechens — representatives of a special designation division — who were visiting their relative and spending the night at the temporary placement center interfered. Having realized that it would be impossible to take away the captives without running the risk of being punished the troopers released them all. Back |
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