Ingushetia: killing of Shamil Makhloev – another extrajudicial execution

On August 22, 2009 after 6:15 a.m. in the village of Ordjonikidzevskaya (Ingushetia) the officers of law enforcement authorities killed Shamil Makhloev, 1987, during special operation.

The same day the press-service of Federal Security Service in Ingushetia distributed message that during investigation and search operations Shamil Makhloev was killed, firearms and ammunition were found at the place of the incident. It was also said that Malkhoevs' house was a hiding place for the members of armed group acting on the territory of Ingushetia and preparing terrorist acts against authorities and commercial structures.

Shamil's relatives and neighbors say that the information is wrong. They claim that in the morning of August 22 many people in masks and special helmets rounded their house. They made the people being in the house leave it. Shamil was taken behind the house. Shamil's mother Marem screamed to neighbors to call the police. At that time the house and the yard were being searched without witnesses and search orders. The Malkhoevs believe that the search was a formal act.

When the cars of local police appeared most of the "siloviks" left the territory, only some of the officers of Federal Security Service stayed in the yard. They talked about the situation, entered the house. After a while the officers of Federal Security Service left the yard. One of the local officers came to Marem and said that there was Shamil's body in the shed. He didn't allow relatives reach the body. Experts-criminalists examined the body. Then it was taken to morgue. The same day at 3 p.m. Shamil's body was returned to the relatives. There were some bullet wounds on it, haematomas on the head.

Since 2005, 24 illegal searches were held in Malkhoevs' house. But there wasn't found anything illegal.   

The reason why law enforcement authorities pay much attention to Malkhoevs' family is Islam's story, the elder brother, visually handicapped.  In 2003 a criminal case was fabricated against him. He was tortured and beaten. As a result he suffered lapses of memory. In June of 2004 after the attack of armed bandits on Ingush enforcement authorities, officers came to Malkhoevs' house to detain Islam. But he wasn't at home at the moment. Then Islam left the republic being afraid of the tortures and violence. Since that time nothing is known about Islam's destiny.

In latest years during searches syloviks used to beat Shamil and his brother Ismail, humiliated women, robbed the house. Ismail left the republic. Shamil went to serve in the army. He got good reference there, his commander called him back to the military unit located on Russia's Far East isle of Sakhalin.

Last time Shamil was taken to ROVD in winter of 2009. After the attack on Ingush President Yunus-Bek Yevkurov,  they came to Malkhoevs' house to get blood test. Marem got her blood, she didn't want to bother her son. She says that Shamil respected new president much and after the attack on him worried sincerely about his health because had great hopes for the future of Ingushetia under presidency of Yevkurov.     

August 27, 2009