People have been disappearing in Chechnya. The people that have not been kidnapped either by bandits or terrorists, but, vice versa, the people, detained by those, who perform an anti terrorist operation. The mountainous part of the region emerge the major part of such messages, the part of Chechnya, where fighting is being renewed from time to time.
Firstly, here, like everywhere in Chechnya, the Federal troops make arbitrary all-through detentions of the civil population.
Secondly, here, in these regions, the military forces detain and investigate the people, since there are neither civil authorities, nor an operating system of the Ministry of the Interior, and we have already written about "the methods" the military forces use. (Russia and Chechnya: a series of mistakes and crimes. Center "Memorial". Compiled by O. Orlov, 1998, Zvenia Publishers, Moscow).
Thirdly, if in the plain regions at least formally the process of the "filtration" is squeezed into the framework of the law (the integral parts of the system are IVS and SIZO (preliminary investigation & detention cells), it is absolutely illegal in the mountainous regions.
And at last, fourthly, the military are acting without a control what so ever, and they are even encouraged to act in that way on the part of their Commanders and the Military Prosecutor.
These circumstances entail, of course, the "disappearance" of the people at the check points and from the military regiments. Later on we shall mention the accounts in testimony to three of such losses, at one and the same check point on the only road leading from mountainous Shatoisky and Itum-Kalinsky regions. This check point is located near the grave yard on the verge of the village of Duba-Yurt on the road leading to the village of Chiri-Yurt. These personal accounts were gathered by the representatives of the Human Rights Center "Memorial".
Four people were detained at the check point in the village of Duba-Yurt on the 13th of January 2000.
All of them live in Shatoisky region, and they stayed in the villages of Chiri-Yurt and Novy Atagi as internally displaced persons. On the 13th and 14th of January the Federal military command opened "a corridor" for the internally displaced persons from Shatoisky region. At the preliminary accord with the personnel of the check point they were driving two ZIL-130 and GAZ-66 lorries to the mountainous villages, where from they intended to evacuate their families and property.
Despite the agreement they were detained at the check point on their way to the village of Duba-Yurt by the military personnel from the 245th armored infantry regiment - under the pretext of "checking up the car documents via the computerized net" - and they were brought to the headquarters of General Shamanov. The detained persons have been kept in the cellar of "Chochkar" cafeteria for some time, and their later fate is unknown as well as the whereabouts of their lorries.
Already after this text was issued by the "Memorial Human Rights Centre" it became known that on May 10, local residents found the bodies of three men, which had traces of tortures (noses, ears were cut in all of them, traces of wire were left at the necks) at the cemetery of the village of Tangi-Chu. The bodies were buried at the cemetery.
Relatives of people who disappeared on January 13, who came to the village in several days, could recognise personal belongings, belonging to Arsanukaev Visite, Titaev Vakha and Delmukhanov Said-Mohammed.
Until now nothing is known about the fate of Kh. Didaev, also detained at the block - post of the village of Duba-Urt and taken together with the killed ones.
Three people were detained at the check point on the road leading from the village of Ñhiri-Yurt to the village of Duba-Yurt on the 18th of January 2000: Bashaev Khasi Khamidovich (born in 1962), Basnukaev Khussein Usmanovich (born in 1959) and Kaikharov Ruslan Alievich (about 27 or 28 years old). They have been driving two passenger cars - a red "Niva" (the registration plate - 9125 ChI in the region 20) and a white VAZ-21099 (the registration plate - 934 MM in the region 20).
Please find further on the personal accounts of Alabaev Mussa Edilbeckovich, born in 1955, a refugee from Shatoisky region, temporarily residing in the town of Shali.
"I know, that those three drivers were evacuating the wounded, who suffered during the bombing of the village of Aslanbeck-Sheripovo. About 40 people were killed and 120 people were wounded during the bombing of this village on the 16th and 17th February.
Those three people were evacuating the wounded women and children and they were stopped at the check point between the village of Chiri-Yurt and the village of Duba-Yurt. This was the check point near the grave yard of the village of Duba-Yurt.
At the check point they were told, that "there was an order that all the men at the age between 15 and 60 years old are not to allow to pass. You go further on, and the men have to return". The military men have transported the wounded to their "Ural" lorry and let the bus with the women and children pass. And those three people - Bashaev Khasi Khamidovich (residing in the village of Sharo-Argun), Basnukaev Khussein Usmanovich (who resided in Petropavlovsk and stayed in the village of Aslanbeck-Sheripovo as a refugee) and Kaikharov Ruslan Alievich - were detained at the check point.
The next day, when I went to visit the wounded to the village of Starye Atagi, I found out by chance that they had been detained at the check point. I informed Basnukaev's elder sister of that immediately. The relatives started the search on the 19th or 20th of February.
The officer, who was the senior one at this check point, has usually introduced himself under the name of "San Sanich" (this man has very many names!). He assured the relatives: "Take my word of an officer that those people left without any problems and returned to their village. I gave them gasoline for their Niva car and they left". The Niva was towing the VAZ-21099, so he said.
I do not believe him, he is not the man one can believe! At the check point there was one more man - an Azerbaijanian - his name is either Azat, or Ashot... or Edik Kamilov. He has hundreds of names! Recently he was on the TV screens and he told: " In exchange of a single automatic rifle shot in our direction we shall fire hundreds of tank missiles!" He also was there, at the check point. This is their team work.
I did not believe them and said: "Those people have not left. They are sure to be somewhere here". But "San Sanich" told me once again: "Take my word, they have left".
And the women were satisfied with the answer. About one month later the first column of cars with the internally displaced persons was allowed to leave the village of Shatoi; a relative of mine came with it and told me, that Basnukaev Khussein had not appeared in the village of Aslanbeck-Sheripovo any more. He did not come back. It was March already, about the 17th or 18th of March. We started one more search. And somebody from the village of Duba-Yurt has found a registration plate, reading 934 MM, 20th region near Duba-Yurt grave yard. We have got a message from Shatoi region, from home, that the registration plate of Basnukaev's car had been found and that neither the car, nor the people had appeared.
After that incident the check point near that village was removed, and then later on it was set up again. In the meantime we started to dig the ground there. And it was not necessary: the front part of Niva was seen from out of the ground! And the wheels! They were clearly seen. We dug the car out. In the process several photos have been taken and a video filmed. The commandant of the village of Chiri-Yurt, a lieutenant colonel; an Anantoly, a representative from the Emergencies and Natural Disasters Office, were present. We dug the other car out as well. "San Sanich" had told us, that the VAZ was towed. Yes, it was! And they stamped and crumpled both the cars either with tanks, or armored vehicles, and dug them into the ground. The front plate had been taken away (and that was found near the grave yard) and the rear one was left in place. They might have forgotten to remove it! The Niva car had no plates.
We know nothing of the fate of the people. We have filed an inquiry with the "force" structures. Djamalkhanov Khavazhi promised to cooperate, but his rights are very limited.
It is senseless to appeal to the structures, the military investigators did not want to investigate the matter either. We have written several petitions to different structures. Khasi Bashev's sister has visited many offices. Khussein Basnukaev's brother Ruslan has also visited all possible offices.
One more important fact: Khussein Basnukaev had the amount of RBI. 58 thousand on him. This was the money his co-villagers had given to him in order he could buy and bring them food when he would return.
The brother of Kaikharov R. - Kaikharov Ramsan, the sister of Bashaev X. - Bashaeva Zura, the sister of Basnukaev Kh. - Basnukaeva Taisa submitted applications for search of the lost ones to the official authorities:
Twelve people were detained at the check point between the village of Chiri-Yurt and the village of Duba-Yurt on the 6th of March 2000.
- ten villagers from the village of Ulus-Kert: Imakaev Balavdi Khakimovich (born in 1959), Imakaev Aslambeck Ganievich (born in 1963), Malikov Zilauddi (born in 1964), Malikov Anzor (born in 1969), Jassuev Said-Magomed (born in 1961), Jassuev Said-Sallam (born in 1967), Rassaev Saida (born in 1966), Akhmadov Sultan (born in 1968), Khadjiev Issa (born in 1968), Abubakarov Akhdan Abujazitovich (born in 1964).
- two refugees from Pervomaiskaya Station, the father and son, Astamirov A. and Astamirov M., who stayed in the village of Ulus-Kert.
They went on foot from the village of Ulus-Kert to the village of Chiri-Yurt, there were three women with them (Malikova Raissa, born in 1964, Jassueva Markha, born in 1962, and Imakaeva Taissa) and this is their personal accounts we rely on.
The women said, that one day earlier, on the 6th of March a regiment of paratroopers had entered the village (about 25 people). They warned the villagers that a punitive group followed them: "They will kill everybody, there will be tortures and it is the best for you to leave the village". The paratroopers wanted to help the people to find a car, but failed. A paratrooper Volodia accompanied the group of the villagers all the way (7 km) to the check point.
The group of the refugees passed through the village of Duba-Yurt and stopped not far from the check point. Volodia went to negotiate their further movement. The people at the check point started beating Volodia, they ripped him of his clothes, then brought him away. They did not see Volodia any more.
A senior officer ("San Sanich") came over to the refugees after that, showed a hundred dollar note to them and asked: "How much have you paid to the soldier so that he would bring you through the check point?" As a result the men were detained, and the women were told to embark the "Ural" lorry and "San Sanich" took them to the check point near the village of Chiri-Yurt. He told the women: "We do not need your men. Their personal papers will be checked and they will be released". The women's documents have been checked at the check point, and the women were searched (a woman searched the women at the check point). They waited for the men for half an hour more, and the men did not come, and then the women went back. But there were no men at the check point near the village of Duba-Yurt. "San Sanich" told them the men were sent back to correct the documents.
Since that time nobody saw the men. The women appealed to the administrations of different villages and regions and to the military commandant, but in vain.
Relatives of the people that disappeared submitted applications for search of the lost ones to the official authorities:
Similar "disappearances" have also taken place on a large scale during the previous Chechenian war. During all the negotiations the problem of those missed was the primary issue, but the problem is still there - about one thousand and five hundred people are still missing. Some of them have probably been shot down, others died of tortures and beatings. (See: Statement of Human Rights Center "Memorial" - On the violation of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law in the Military Conflict in the Republic of Chechnya.).
We shall refer to just one case astonishingly similar to the one that has taken place at the check point near the village of Duba-Yurt on the 18th of February.
The citizens of the town of Shali - Ajub Movldievich Domaev, Aslambeck Savladinovich Suleimanov and Shamkhan Lemaevich Tashukhadjiev - have been missed of the 9th of May 1995. The local law enforcing bodies have found out that those people had been detained at the check point No. 2 of the armored infantry regiment 503 of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. K.I. Reiter, Senior Deputy of the Chief Military Prosecutor in the Republic of Chechnya, who dealt with the check up of the facts, was deprived of the entry to the place of location of the regiment by the military command.
On the 3rd of May, when the regiment 503 moved from the place of its location, Domaev's and Suleimanov's bodies were found at a two meters depth in the field of the State Farm "Jalka" of Shalinsk region, at the place where the reconnaissance battalion of the regiment had been located. A soldier, who had left the regiment, showed the place to the relatives. More bodies have been found there, as well as the car, crumpled by the tracks of the tank, belonging to the dead men. Tashukhadjiev' s body was found in the grave yard of the town of Shali on the 6th of June. The experts have confirmed that all of them died through the forced death, the bodies had an evidence of tortures.
The Military Prosecutor's office in the Republic of Chechnya have started legal proceedings in connection with the fact of the death of Ajub Movldievich Domaev, Aslambeck Savladinovich Suleimanov and Shamkhan Lemaevich Tashukhadjiev, and then the Military Prosecutor's office went on with the proceedings. The investigators came to the conclusion that S.N. Sokolov, the former Commander of the 503 armored infantry regiment, was to blame for the death of those people.
On the 20th of September the investigation was over, and the criminal case, accusing the colonel in the intended killing under the aggravating circumstance of two or more people, intended destruction of the personal property, inflicting a substantial damage, and a misuse of power with an aggravating effect, was forwarded to the Court Marshall of the Northern Caucasus Military Detachment. However, later on the Court Marshall were returning the case several times to the Prosecutor's office for new investigations. The guilty have not yet been punished (one more court hearings have recently taken place in the city of Rostov).
The events that took place at the check point near the village of Duba-Yurt, show, that impunity brings about new crimes.
The relatives of those missed tried to find the "San Sanich", but failed: they were either told that he had been removed to another place, or that now it is not his shift, or that he was killed in combat. These are no random words of the thousands of names - officers use false names, and that safeguards them the freedom from the punishment.
There is no list of the people missed in Chechnya yet, but we are sure to say: many of them "disappeared" after they had been detained by the Federal troops. And the number of the people who fell under the process of "the filtration", exceeds many times the official figure of 1007 people, who had passed through the preliminary investigation cell in the village of Cherkizovo by the 24th of April (that was the figure Mr. S. Yastrjembsky, Assistant to the President, has officially announced). Many people who are detained in isolation either in "temporary isolation cells" (official regional ones and unofficial ones at the location of the military regiments) and many of those still "missing".
A.Cherkassov, Member of the Board of the Human Rights Center "Memorial"
24th of April 2000, the city of Nazran