Human Rights Center "Memorial"

Ingushetia at the End of 2005: Explosions, Abductions, "Special Operations"

21.12.2005

It seemed to be as if everything came to an end in Ingushetia six years ago: Abductions of people, who had been carried off to neighbouring republics, exchange of fire with local police and explosions directed against local law-enforcement agencies. Before 1999 criminal pressure from Chechnya represented the main threat for security in the republic. But already at the very beginning of the second Chechen war Ingushetia seemed to be a "zone of security" to which refugees from regions of armed conflicts surged to. The relative good security situation in Ingushetia remained another two years, until in Chechnya periods of active military operations and massive "mopping up" operations successively took place and the "disappearance" of people in the course of "address actions" started. However, in the following years the zone of military confrontation in full extended also on Ingushetia - about that "Memorial" wrote in the report "A Conveyor of Violence" published in July this year.

Unfortunately, at the end of 2005 the events in Ingushetia develop in the same direction as well. Explosions rattle, "address actions" are conducted, people are abducted, they "disappear" and then appear in adjacent republics.

The inhabitants of the republic still live between terror and "counterterror".

So, on December 1st 2005 around 21:00 in Nazran an assassination attempt was committed at the deputy chief of the Nazran police department lieutenant colonel of police Ali Jandiev. On December 3rd around 17:15 in Nazran fire was centred at the "Mercedes" of the captain of police Aslan Tutaeva who was wounded at breast and head. In the night on December 8th an explosion of a powerful device with built-in lethal elements occurred in a court yard of a private house in the centre of Nazran.

But the methods applied by power structures are sometimes also illegal and nonselective and employees of law-enforcement agencies suffer from them as well. For example, on November 30th 2005 Ruslan Tsechoev was abducted in the building of the Cadiate of Ingushetia and carried off to North Ossetia. On December 7th Ali Kostoev was carried off to Chechnya. This very day on December 7th in the settlement Ordzhonikidzevskaya two insurgents were killed during an "address action" in the cafe "Meridian" and the mistress of the cafe, Zolothan Hildiharoeva, was seriously wounded.

"Special Operation" in the Cadiate and the Detention of Ruslan Tsechoev

On November 30th 2005 around 11:00 in the morning four inhabitants of Ingushetia were abducted from the rooms of the Cadiate of the Republic of Ingushetia located in the centre of Nazran not far away from the central mosque: Tsechoev Muslim Bagaudinovich (born in 1980), Tsechoev Ruslan Bagaudinovich (born in 1982), Tsechoev Magomed Mahmedgireevich (born in 1991) all living in the settlement Alhasty, street Soviet 21 and Hashiev Jusup Umatgireevich (born in 1969) living in Michurin's street 29 in Ordzhonikidzevskaja. The Cadiate (the official name is "the spiritual centre of the settlement of civil disputes") represents a traditional Ingush institute, an organ existing from ancient times, consisting of religious authorities and serving the settlement of disputes in accordance with norms of common law.

This day about twenty five persons lingered in the rooms of the Cadiate, among them Magomet-Sali Aushev delegate of the people's assembly of the Republic of Ingushetia.

Around 11:00 in the morning the building of the Cadiate was surrounded by armed representatives of the Russian power structures in masks, approaching on several motor vehicles with toned panes and without licence plates. The armed men forced everybody in the building to go out on the street. There, they directed their weapons at them and ordered to put the hands behind the head. Everybody was carefully searched and everybody's documents were checked up. Afterwards, all young men were taken away aside, were handcuffed and were put with their face to the wall. Thereafter, two cars "VAZ-2109" of Jusup Hashiev and "VAZ-2110" of Muslim Tsechoev were carefully searched.

During the examination of Muslim Tsechoev's car a single-barrelled hunting gun, on which existed valid documents (licence and registration from the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) of the Republic of Ingushetia), was discovered. Apart from that nothing else was found in the car. Without explaining what they were doing the armed men detached four people: Muslim Tsechoev, Ruslan Tsechoev, Magomed Tsechoev and Jssup Hashiev. The "Siloviki" (officially armed forces) put them by force in one of their cars and drove away. The relatives tried to get to know where they were brought to and were told that they were on the way to Magas. The "Siloviki" also took along the already examined cars of Jusup Hashiev and Muslim Tsechoev.

The whole day the relatives didn't know anything about the destiny of the abductees. Thus, they immediately submitted a request on their abduction to the police. After midnight three of the four abductees returned home. From them it became known that they had been taken to the Department for Organized Crime of North Osetia (DOCNO) in Vladikavkaz. There, everybody has been lead separately into a room in which an awl, pliers, hack saws and hammers were placed on a table. By pointing at the items the young men were asked: "Well, with what shall we begin?" (which means: "With what shall we torture you?") "Choose by yourselves". After that they have been cruelly beaten and tortured for several hours. During that time they were shown photos of random people, demanded for identifying them and they were asked about insurgents who they know. All the time they were beaten (legs with a hammer, kidneys with a bludgeon) and tortured with electroshock. Around midnight the members of the DOCNO of Vladikavkaz unexpectedly decided to search again one of the carried off cars, the "VAZ-2109". As already mentioned above, the first careful search in the day didn't lead to any results but the repeated search in the yard of the DOCNO resulted in the disclosure of a pistol and a grenade. After that, Jusup Hashiev, Muslim Tsechoev and the underaged Magomed Tsechoev were released whereas Ruslan Tsechoev was detained in the DOCNO. Before being released, they had to issue a statement that they, firstly, wouldn't raise any claims to those who arrested them and, secondly, that no illegal methods and means had been used. Moreover, the young men were compelled to sign a protocol concerning their interrogation without being familiar with these documents. One day after their release the Tsechoevs and Hashiev issued a request to the Office of Public Prosecutor concerning their illegal detention and the use of physical violence. Furthermore, they addressed to the republican hospital asking to set the traces of torturing and beating. However, doctors there demanded a direction from the bureau of forensic medical examination which could be received just under great difficulties. The afterwards conducted examination confirmed the fact of torturing and beating, whereas the urologist and the neuropathologist refused to examine the young men at all, because of being excessively busy. On November 1st the relatives of Ruslan Tsechoev engaged the lawyer Ruslan Evloev who - after a meeting with his client - found out, that physical violence has been used during the interrogation, and, therefore, wrote a complaint concerning the conduct of the inquest. As at December 16th 2005 Ruslan Tsechoev was kept in the Temporary Detention Centre (TDC) of Vladikavkaz and registered in the list of the investigatory group of the State Office of Public Prosecutor of the Northern Caucasus headed by investigator Krivorotov. The judgement of the court on the Tsechoev case was given as a preventive punishment: maintenance in custody for 30 days. Ruslan Tsechoev is charged in accordance with article 209 (brigandage).

Detention of Ali Kostoev and his transfer to Chechnya

On December 7th 2005 around 15:00 between the settlements Nizhnyj Achaluki and Novyj Redant in the Malgobekskyj district the inhabitant of settlement Nizhnyj Achaluki Ali Sulejmanovich Kostoev (born in 1963 and living in street Sovkhoznaya 12) was abducted by members of the unknown security department coming from the Chechen Republic. That day Kosotoev together with his wife drove their ill child to the Central Children's Hospital of Nazran for a medical examination. Because of missing the doctor they wanted to visit their relatives. At the same time an acquaintance of Kosotoev, a Chechen, called him on his mobile and asked Ali to meet him. Kostoev suggested to meet in his house and instantly left together with his family to Nizhnyj Achaluki. The acquaintance didn't appear at home. Ali let wife and child off. After having called up the acquainted Chechen Ali left to meet him half-way towards the settlement Novyj Redant. They met behind the settlement nearby an official building. The Chechen took a seat in Kostoev's car. After some minutes the car was blocked by a big group of armed men dressed in black military uniforms. They approached on two white minibuses "Gazel" and a "VAZ-21099". Casual eyewitnesses later told Kostoev's relatives about the circumstances of his abduction. While blocking the car the soldiers shot a front wheel. The Chechen sitting in the car tried to escape but was detained. Kostoev who didn't try to escape was also pulled out of the car and taken along. With high speed the escort with the abductees left towards Chechnya. While passing the post "Оrshа-47" of the Road Patrol Service (RPS) they didn't comply with the instructions of the policemen and didn't stop. The members of the next Ingush post of the RPS "Оrsha-46" - situated on the highway Maglobek-Grosnyj next to the settlement Aki-Yurt - were warned that a column of cars with suspects approaches towards them. The policemen blocked the road with a barrier.

At 15:30 two "Gazel" and a "Vaz-21099" with armed men approached the post. At the same time a "KamAZ" stood in front of the barrier. The cars with the unknown persons stopped. A plainclothes man with an officer's astrakhan hat got out of the "Vaz-21099". He commanded the driver of the "KamAZ" to remove the car from the road. The member of the RPS came up to him and demanded to register in the post. The unknown person presented the policeman a folder in which ostensibly were corresponding instructions allowing them to pass free, but didn't show any further documents. The policeman said that they couldn't pass without registration. The unknown person answered that he will pass in any case and commanded one of his subordinates to open the barrier. The policeman on duty at the barrier forbade him doing so. Thus, the plainclothes unknown - apparently the senior - commanded: "Take positions!" About thirty armed men jumped out of the "Gazels" and while dispersing aimed at the Ingush policemen. Three Ingush policemen on duty next to the barrier prepared for action as well. The arrivals again tried to open the barrier. Then a fight started involving a chaotic shooting. In the end the Ingush policemen receiving significant physical injuries were repelled from the barrier. The unknown persons got in their cars and after having brought down the barrier escaped with high speed to the territory of Chechnya. Three members of the RPS (Belharoev, Getagazov and Daskiev) with different physical injuries have been hospitalized to the Central Republican Hospital No.1 in Malgobek. Members of the MOI of Ingushetia and the Office of Public Prosecutor of Malgobek drove out to the site of the incident. There, 10 sleeves of calibre 7.62 mm, 9 sleeves of calibre 5.45 mm, a bullet of calibre 8 mm and the case of a "Rolex" have been seized. A criminal case has been set up by the Office of Public Prosecutor of Malgobek.

On December 8th a man who introduced himself as Ali Kostoev's lawyer called Ali's brother Magomed. He informed that Ali was in the Groznyj Linear Department of Transport of the MOI (LDOI of Groznyj). Charge was brought against him according to article 228 paragraph 3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (illegal purchase, storage, production and selling of narcotic substances).

Special Operation in the Settlement Ordzhonikidzevskaja, Injuring of Zolothan Hildiharoevoj

On December 7th around 17.30 a "special operation" was conducted by members of the unknown security department in Ordzhonikidzevskaja not far away from the bus station in the cafe "Meridian". In the course of this operation two natives of the settlement Samashki have been killed: Said-Khasan Musostov (born in 1977) and Tamerlan Bajsangurov (born in 1972). The press-cutting service of the MOI of the Republic of Ingushetia informed that they were participants of "unknown armed formations".

According to eyewitnesses at twilight the cafe "Meridian" (Suvorova Street 2b) was blocked by a great group of "Siloviki" in masks talking Russian without accent and arriving in two minibuses "Gazel", one UAZ-452 "tabletka" and other cars. To all appearance they were members of a special subdivision of the FSB.

House and grounds next to the cafe have also been blocked. In the course of the special operation the "Siloviki" simultaneously penetrated both in the cafe and on the compound. Threatening them with weapons all men were taken out to the yard and laid on the ground face-down.

In the cafe the armed men opened heavy fire without warning. It seemed as if they had known in which part of the cafe the people stayed they were looking for and fired right in this direction. According to unconfirmed information shortly before the operation started a man left the cafe who had arrived there together with Musostovyj and Bajsangurovyj.

Except from Musostovyj and Bajsangurovyj mistress Hildiharoeva Zolothan (born in 1964), a waitress and a cook also stayed in the cafe. The "Siloviki" commanded the women to lie down on the ground but casual people could still have been hit during the shooting (particularly because lights in the cafe had been turned off at the beginning of the "special operation"). Hildiharoeva received serious injuries because a bullet shattered her patella. Afterwards, when the shooting stopped the armed men commanded everybody staying in the cafe to go out on the street. Hildiharoeva for good reason couldn't do so. The waitress and the cook who left with hands up were taken aside to the neighbouring compound and interrogated. After the interrogation the women have been released. After having checked their documents the armed men also released all men who stayed in the building adjoining the cafe.

Musostov and Bajsangurov were killed. On completion of the operation Ingush policemen arrived at the battleground and drove injured Hildiharoeva to a hospital. The members of the special subdivision took a video record of the battlefield, picked up the dead bodies of Musostov and Bajsangurov and brought them to a morgue. Two days later the relatives could take the bodies of Musostov and Bajsangurov to bury them.

Copy of the Request of Ruslan Tsechoev to the Public Prosecutor of the Republic of North Osetia-Alanija A.A. Bigulov

On December 8th around 11:00 I was taken from the TDC to the DOC and till 19:00 regularly beaten. They demanded to tell where I put the land mine and with whom and where I was in the forest. Moreover, they demanded to tell at the interrogation in presence of the lawyer that I conveyed a pistol and a grenade "Limonka" in my car. They told me that they had found them there. Not bearing up against the torturing I confessed having conveyed the pistol and the grenade.