On the morning of the 21st June 2001, members of the HRC "Memorial", Tatyana Kasatkina and Rosiyat Yasiyeva, who intended travelling from Khasavyurt (Dagestan) to Gudermes (Chechnya), discovered that the road around the Chechen village of Koshkeldy (a 30 minute drive from Gudermes) had been blocked by local residents. Near the military control point a crowd, predominately women, had gathered. Overhead flew helicopters hedge-hopping above the crowd.
The following information was received from those who took part in the rally:
At approximately 4 am on the 21st June, people in camouflage and masks, who refused to say who they were and under whose instructions they acted, burst into several houses in the village of Koshkeldy and dragged the young men from their beds.
In an unknown direction were taken:
1. Radik Kochkarbayevich Umarov, born 1983, an invalid paralysed down the right side of his body, living on Shkolnaya street.
2. Arsen Aslanbekovich Abdurashdov, born 1977, a father of two children, who lives on Shkolnaya street. His mother Ajna Zavadiyevna, born 1950, was beaten: dark bruises were clearly visible on her face.
3. Three brothers Shabanov, who all live on Sheripova street: Ruslan, born 1980, Dzhamaldin, born 1977, Viskhadzhi, born 1973, a father of two children.
4. Bachayev Said-Bck, born 1977, who lives on Sheripova street.
Being aware of the numerous incidents where people detained in such a way have disappeared without trace, the village residents went out onto the Rostov-Baku road and closed it. After several hours, it became known that the detained had been taken to Gudermes and were at the Temporary Department of Internal Affairs (TDIA).
Representatives of the village administration immediately left for Gudermes
where they met with members of the TDIA and attempted to find out: what was the reason for their detention, as their fellow villagers had not noticed them do anything wrong. They were assured that after a check, which took a maximum of 72 hours, all those who were not guilty would be released. The invalid Radik Umarov was released straight
away.
When the villagers were informed by the head administrator what had been said to him at the TDIA, the residents initially decided not to clear the road until the detained were free. However, by that time people from other settlements had joined them, who began shouting out slogans of an obviously political nature. The Koshkeldians decided to distance themselves from them and not give the military an occasion for violent action.
They demanded that the "professional protestors" stop shouting. The villagers took the decision themselves to disperse and wait until the detention time, (that they had been told about by members of the Gudermes TDIA), had elapsed.
The Human Rights Centre "Memorial" has sent a letter to the procurator’s office with the demand to instigate criminal proceedings against representatives of the military forces, who carried out the arrests in the village of Koshkeldy as a gross breach of the Russian legislation.