03.08.2007
On July 27, 2007 unidentified fighters subjected to fire the building of Federal Security Services (FSB) in Republic Ingushetia. According to official sources, one military servicemen (conscript) was killed, another person received injuries. The next morning, on July 28 at around 5 a.m. the personnel of federal security services blocked the village of Ali-Yurt, located 4 kilometers from Magas at the border of Ingushetia and North Ossetia.
According to the press-service of FSB in Republic Ingushetia, operational data had been received that the fighters hid in the village of Ali-Yurt, thus in order to find and detain the criminals, the decision was taken to carry out anti-terrorist operation: «The village was announced the zone of anti-terrorist operation. At around 4: 00 a.m. reconnaissance operation was launched aimed at finding suspects who attacked the building of republican FSB », - reported the Operations Headquarters.
“The anti-terrorist operation” was carried out in the following way: a group of military servicemen arrived by an armed troops carrier and two “Gazel” mini-buses without registration numbers, started to break into the houses, opened fire in the air, started to pool sleeping residents out of beds, kicked them with boots and gun butts shouting “You shot us! You are hiding the fighters!” Military servicemen did not check papers, carried out searches without sanctions and very superficially. The action had a clearly punitive character. Residents of Zyazikova and Ordzonikidze streets suffered most, there virtually every house was swept, many inhabitants beaten. The first group of fighters left the village at around 8 a.m. They detained 7 people, all of them were delivered to the building of FSB in Magas.
At around 8 a.m. top officials of the republican security services arrived to Ali-Yurt, including the minister of MVD, Musa Medov, and vice prime-minister, head of the Republican Anti-Terorrist Commission, Bashir Aushev. The victims were delivered to hospital by ambulance cars. By that time servicemen of other security agencies arrived in the village and they started to check passports without resorting to physical force or abusing civilians. The passport control operation was finished by 5 p.m. The blockade around the village was seized at 6 p.m.
At 8 p.m. three of the detained men- Ganizev Ruslan, Ganizev Akhmed and Gagiev Khavazh with bags on their heads were dropped at the road between the villages Surkhakhi and Yandyrka. They hitch-hiked home. The detainees said that in the building of FSB they were taken downstairs into the cellar. There each one was interrogated separately. During the interrogation they were beaten on the legs, kidneys and heads, asked about fighters, tried to force to cooperate with security services. The same day all the three of them were hospitalized, Ganizev Ruslan was diagnoized with brain concussion, broken ribs, prolapsus of kidneys, numerous bruises and haematomes. The other 4 detained men were subsequently likewise released.
According to preliminary estimates, after the punitive raid at least 27 residents turned for medical assistance to the hospital, including women (Esmurzieva Tanzila on the 7th month of pregnancy), children under 15 and elderly people. The majority of victims were brought to the Central Clinical Hospital in Nazran, two persons were hospitalized to clinics in Moscow. When the victims were leaving the hospitals many were not issued medical papers. In the medical history cards the doctors made a statement that the patient left the medical institution without permission or asking for papers. Some patients were issued medical certificates, however, the next evening the doctors visited them at homes and begged them to retun these certificates back, since they were threatened to be fired and to have problems with FSB. The patients did so.
On August 1 the victims of Ali-Yurt sweep turned to prosecution and human rights organizations asking to hold the military servicemen responsible. On August 1, 2007 at around 11 p.m. one of the Ali-Yurt activists, a father, whose son remained in a serious condition in hospital, was visited by three unidentified men in civilian clothes. The visitors threatened him with death if he continued to make fuss about the actions of the military servicemen.
Below are the witness testimonies of some of the resident of Ali-Yurt. Your inquiries about investigation into illegal actions of military servicemen during the punitive action in the village of Ali-Yurt, please send to:
The President of Republic Ingushetia, Zyazikov Murat Magomedovich
385100 Republic of Ingushetia, Magas, Administration of President
phone (8734) 55 11 55, fax (8732) 22 16 51
Prosecutor of Republic Ingushetia, Turygin Yurij Nikolaevich
386102 Republic of Ingushetia, Nazran, Fabrichnaya street, 9
phone/fax (8732) 22 17 24, 22 15 76
Evloev Yakh'ya, resident of Ali-Yurt, Zyazikova street, 15a
«The shooting was coming from the area near Ossetia and continued for 10 minites. It was on the 27th at around 10 p.m.
On the 28th July at around 5 a.m. I heard the shooting. I was sitting on the mat for morning prayer. When I heard the sound of shooting I looked out of the window. My wife was in the bathroom at that time. The bathroom is located in the yard of our house.I see an APC breaking the gates of my neighbor, Evloyev Sharip. Around 20 people in camouflage broke into the yard after the APC. Another group went into the house of Tamara Evloeva. She has 5 children. They started to beat up all of them right away. They beat very cruelly.
From Tamara they headed towards my house,I have no gates, so they entered my yard without a problem. They dragged my wife from the bathroom at the gun point and turned her with her face to the wall. Then they started to break the doors. I opened the doors. 7-8 people dashed in. «Lay down, bitches»- they screamed. Lots of obsene words. They looked through all the rooms. Force me on the floor and started to kick me with their boots on the kidneys. They shouted: «You killed our guys… shooting came from your village... you will pay for it... We will return you to the times fo Yermolov» They did not even look into my passport. Threw it on the ground. Then they dragged me outise, threw on the ground and started beating again. Again asking «Who was shooting?» It made no sense to respond to them, they were totally wild. They could hear nothing. They spent around 10 minutes in my house. Then they said: stay still for 5 minutes, do not move. From my place they went to the neighbor, Evloev Bilan. He is around 60 years old. At his place they also beat up all men, especially his younger son, a teenager, aged 15. They very strongly beat him on his head. His whole face turned blue. Those servicemen, who behaved this way spent around one hour in the village. After them came normal guys, together with local police. They simply visited houses and checked passports».
Aspiev Magomed-Girey Belanovich, resident of Zyazikova street, 27
«At around 6 a.m. my wife woke me up and said that at the neighbor's someone was swearing in Russian, and children were crying. I quickly got dressed and came outside. I heard someone knocking on my gates and shouting «Open, bitch!». I opened gates and they immediately wanted to hit me on the head with gun butt, but I dodged the blows. Then they forced me on the ground. The military servicemen were in masks and without masks. They screamed at me «You are a fighter». I said «How can I be a fighter, I myself suffered from them!» They asked me who's at home? I said «My wife and the childeren» How old is the oldest one? 16 years old. The one who asked, ordered the others «Bring me this 16- year- old bitch!» I told them that I was a lieutenant of police in reserve. They raised me and ordered to bring the documents. Two of them entered the house. I entered the room where my wife and children were and asked my wife about the documents. The militry servicemen were already there, pointing with guns at the children. Three children- Aslan, 3 years old., Israil, 2 years old, and Tamila, 10 months old. The children were scared and they weeped. The servicemen told my wife «Calm them down or I will kill them!» Then he came up to Israil grabbed and threw him on the floor. The boy started sreaming even louder. I tried to protect my chilren, but they forced me out of the room.
In the yard two of my older sons were laying on the ground- Timerlan, born in 1991, Amirkhan, born in 1992 and Akhmet, born in 1994. They were in underwear, dragged out of beds. I noticed Tamirlan had blood on his back. I told the military servicemen: «What are you doing with my children!» They kicked me on the back very strongly, I fell down. Tried to raise, but they would not let me up. They put something heavy on my back- I guess a flak jacket and started beating with gunbutts and feet. I was indignant, and screamed that I was an officer, have decorations (order of Courage), a war veteran! Then one of the servicemen ordered the others to stop beatings. He raised me from the ground, gave me his hand and said that his name was Volodya. «Magomed, he said, I am sorry, it is not written on your face who you are». Then he photographed the documents of Tamirlan, threw them on the ground and left».
Aspiev Timerlan Magomed-Gireevich, 1991, resident of Ali-Yurt, Zyazikova street, 27
«I was sleeping in one room with my brothers. The military servicemen broke in, dragged me outside in underwear. They shouted: «You will respond to our questions. Are you a fighter? Do you love them? Why did you come to attack us?» I kept saying «no» to all their questions. They said «you are mistaken» and kicked me very badly on the side. Another one hit me on the head then on the arm. Another one hit me with a gun butt on the shoulder. Then my father came outside and they stopped beating me».
Dzejtov Batyr Yak'yaevich, 1965 resident of Ali-Yurt, Zyazikova street 39
«At around 6 a.m. I heard sounds of shooting at the neighbors and somebody shouting obseneties in Russian. I started to dress up and at that moment 10-15 people broke into the house. They shouted «On the floor, everybody». I asked them to explain themselves and identify themselves. They started beating me and said «We are asking questions here! Who was shooting? Where were you during shooting?» I said I was at home, eating. «You, bitch!» they said, «While our guys were being killed you were enjoying your tea!» and started beating even harder. One of them twisted my arm and put a pistol at my ear, second stepped on my legs, third pointed his gun at my head. Then they started to kick me with their boots over entire body. I tried to avoid hits, then they started to beat harder with the pistol on the nose, on the teeth. They did not stop until I lost consciousness. When I regained consciousness they already left. They were walking along the street and shooting in the air. In my yard they also shot, but collected all the cartridges».
Batsaev Issa Tuganovich, resident of Ali-Yurt, Yevloeva street, 5
«On July 28, a sweep was carried out in Ali-Yurt . After my documents were checked I got out of the house. In the street were my neighbors - Batsaev Alikhan Savarbekovich and Yevloev Magomed Mussaevich. We decided to walk to the street corner. There was sitting our neighbor, Daskhoev Mussa Abuyazidovich with his son. We approached them and sat down. Then we saw military servicemen walking along the Zyazikov street, 12 or 13 people. When there were about 20 meters left between them and us they started to shout that we should lay on the ground and opened fire. They were swearing all the time. When we lay on the ground one of them kicked me with his boot on the elbow and stepped on my back with his boot. I felt a crimp in my back. He was swearing and saying that if anyone attacks them from here again, he would order to burn this damn village, that he was ready to go to jail for this up to 20 years. He also said that this was the war between Christians and Muslims. They kept us on the ground for around 5 minutes and then let us go. At home I felt strong heart ache. In February 2007 I had an extensive heart attack. Ambulance was called and I was taken to a hospital in Nazran, to an emergency ward. The doctor took a cardiogram and said I was in pre-heart attack condition. I also was diagnoised with two broken ribs, I have pain when breathing and the pain is reflected in the chest».
Nalgiev Ramazan Yusupovich, born in 1927, resident of Ali-Yurt, Ordzonikizde street, 59
«It was after 4 a.m. I was coming back home from the mosque after a prayer. I saw a group of armed men on the road, and tried to change my way to avoid them. Four people left the group and came up to me without saying anything. The pushed me on the ground and started kicking with boots. They broke my ribs. I am an old person, you do not need to hit me much. When I stopped moving, they left me and one of them, told someone: «We have killed the old guy».
Dobrieva Marzhan Khasanovna, 1941, resident of Ali-Yurt, Zyazikov street, 24
«At around 5:30 a.m. someone started knocking on my gate. I opened the gate. 6 armed servicemen broke into the house, some of them in masks, screaming «Bitches, give us your men who were shooting yesterday» Four of my daughters and a 5 year old granddaughter were sleeping in the house. Armed men swearing, ordered to take them out of the house. One of the daughters Ritta (born in 1972) made a remark “Why are you swearing?” She was hit. Some time later the armed men left. I tried to look out of the gates, but I was ordered to stay inside. I only managed to notice two white “Gazel” mini-buses without registration plates».
Dobriev Vakha, borm in 1961 resident of Ali-Yurt, Zyazikov street, 24
«I was woken up by the sounds of shooting. Someone was shooting in the yard of the neighbors.I tried to get out into the yard, but two guns were pointed at my head and my stomach. I was forced on the ground and started to kick me and beat with gun butts. “You are a fighter! You are old, where is your companion, who was shooting last night?”
At that time my 14 year old son, who was hit and forced on the ground next to me. While we were laying on the ground, they demanded my passport from my wife. She brought it out, but they did not even look at it. They threatened to kill me if I walk beyond the gates, shot in the air and left».
Tatrieva Petimat, born in 1966, resident of Ali-Yurt, Zyazikov street, 27a.
«I was woken up by the noise, I though there was bombing. I was in the house with my ill husband and three children (born in 1991, 1997 è 2005) and 16 year- old- nephew, who came to visit us from Moscow.
I rushed out into the yard and only then I understood that someone was knocking on the gates. I opened the gates. A group of armed servicemen in masks and without masks around 15 people broke into the yard. Someone immediately put a gun to my forehead and pistol to my neck.
«Where are men? I am counting till five. If they do not get outside- we will throw a grenade into the house». I got very scared and said that everyone was sleeping. One of them insisted: «I am counting…»
I was not able to fulfill their order because they were keeping me at the gunpoint. I begged them not to touch the children. At that time my older son Akromat (15 years old) woke up and got out the house. The military servicemen started to beat him up in front of me. My husband descended later. He was slightly lame after a car accident. They started to beat him on the kidneys, pressed his eyes with fingers. «Where are they? You killed our guys!» My nephew was thrown down the staircase from the second floor, took outside and put on the ground. When he tried to explain that he was here for the vacation and that he was actually from Moscow, they said «Tell them in Moscow that we will destroy all of you there as well!»
Tsoroev Yusup Akhmet-Alievich, resident of Ali-Yurt, Zyazikova street, 37
«At around 5 a.m. armed people broke into my house. They did not ask my documents, did not identify themselves. They were swearing, shooting in the air from machine guns. My wife, Esmurzieva Tanzila Akhmedovna and myself were forced outside. They knocked me down with a gun butt and started to kick, pressed muzzle of machine gun to my naked back. It was hot after shooting. They beat my wife, she is psysically disabled, also pregnant, last month of pregnancy. When they left, I had to call ambulance and take my wife to the hospital».