28.05.2008 - Source: Amnesty International

Number of reported enforced disappearances and abductions decreased in 2007; torture and ill-treatment remained widespread ("Annual Report 2008") [ID 23506]

"In Chechnya the number of reported enforced disappearances and abductions decreased, compared with previous years, although cases continued to be reported.

Torture and ill-treatment by Chechen law enforcement officials was reported, including in illegal and secret places of detention.

During his visit to Chechnya in March, the Commissioner for Human Rights of the CoE stated that he had "the impression that torture and ill-treatment are widespread" and added that perpetrators of torture had a feeling of "utter impunity".

The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) issued its third public statement on Chechnya in March, naming six police detention facilities where detainees were at a high risk of torture."

Document(s): Open document

11.03.2008 - Source: US Department of State

According to Chechnya's General Prosecutor's Office, 80 persons abducted in first 6 months of 2007; NGO Memorial documented marked decrease in number of abductions in Chechnya ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2007") [ID 22602]

For information on cases, please see the report.

"During the year there were reports of federal and local government involvement in disappearances in Chechnya, Dagestan, and Ingushetiya. The number of disappearances declined in Chechnya, but increased in Ingushetiya and Dagestan. There were continued reports of abductions followed by beatings or torture to extract confessions, abductions for political reasons, and kidnappings for ransom by criminals. Security forces alleged to be involved in these disappearances acted with impunity.

According to Chechnya's General Prosecutor's Office, 80 persons were abducted in the first six months of the year. As of July 11, according to Chechen Ombudsman Nurdi Nukhazhiyev, 2,700 persons were officially missing in Chechnya.

The human rights NGO Memorial documented a marked decrease in the number of abductions in Chechnya through August and attributed the decrease to Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov's orders to militants under his control. Other human rights observers were less optimistic that the numerical decrease reflected actual improvement, but rather a reluctance by family members to report relatives as abducted due to fear of reprisal. During the first eight months of the year, Memorial documented 25 abductions in which 17 persons were reported released, five disappeared, and one killed. Two cases remained under investigation by authorities. In 2006 Memorial documented 187 abductions, and 63 disappeared, 11 of whom were later found dead. Memorial documented 323 abductions in 2005."

Document(s): Open document

11.03.2008 - Source: US Department of State

On 12 September 2007 armed men reportedly abducted Vagap Tutakov, former member of Ichkeria parliament ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2007") [ID 22603]

"On September 12 armed men reportedly abducted Vagap Tutakov in Chechnya. The International Helsinki Federation stated that there was reason to believe he was targeted for political reasons. Tutakov, a former member of the Ichkeria parliament to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and Aslan Makhadov's Special Representative in Strasburg, had supported Chechnya's independence and was critical of Russian policies in the North Caucasus."

Document(s): Open document

11.03.2008 - Source: US Department of State

Statistics of both authorities and Memorial appeared to indicate continued decline in abductions and disappearances in Chechnya; human rights groups attributed at least part of decline to reluctance of detainees' relatives to complain to authorities ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2007") [ID 22606]

"Although incidents continued, statistics of both authorities and Memorial appeared to indicate a continued decline in abductions and disappearances in Chechnya compared to previous years. However, human rights groups and authorities interpreted the data differently. (…)

Human rights groups attributed at least part of the statistical decline to the reluctance of detainees' relatives to complain to the authorities or human rights groups out of fear of reprisals. Citing numerous incidents in which unidentified armed men wearing camouflage broke into houses and abducted civilians, they expressed skepticism about government assertions that regulations governing the behavior of security forces were being more closely observed.

The decline in abductions by federal forces was partly offset by the increasing role of the security forces under the command of Chechen President Kadyrov, either on their own initiative or in joint operations with federal forces. Human rights groups reported that these forces were frequently suspected of disappearances and abductions, including those of family members of rebel commanders and fighters. The International Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights estimated in a February 2005 report that Kadyrov's security forces were responsible for up to 75 percent of the crimes in Chechnya."

Document(s): Open document

21.09.2007 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Separatist activist Vagap Tutakov is believed to have been abducted by armed men on September 12 in Urus-Martan district, due to his political affiliation ("Separatist Activist 'Abducted In Chechnya'") [ID 21377]

"In a joint statement, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights said they believed Vagap Tutakov was abducted by armed men on September 12 in the Urus-Martan district of Chechnya. Tutakov was an envoy for Chechnya during the 1990s, when he represented its separatist leadership before the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. The groups said there was "reason to believe that Tutakov was targeted for abduction due to his political ideas and affiliations.""

Document(s): Open document

23.05.2007 - Source: Amnesty International

While number of reported enforced disappearances has decreased, number of cases of arbitrary and incommunicado detention is high; during incommunicado detention, individuals are at very high risk of torture and other ill-treatment ("What justice for Chechnya’s disappeared? [EUR 46/015/2007]") [ID 21211]

"While the number of reported enforced disappearances has decreased, the incidence of "temporary" disappearance, when individuals are arbitrarily detained and held in incommunicado detention, while the authorities deny knowledge of their whereabouts, is high. During the incommunicado detention, the individuals are at very high risk of torture and other ill-treatment, in order to extract a "confession", after which they are transferred to another place of detention where their detention is logged (...) Enforced disappearances by state agents and abductions by armed groups have been among the most shocking of human rights violations during the Chechen conflict; shocking both because of the scale on which this has taken place in the small republic, and because of the particular cruelty of this form of abuse.( ...)  In a small republic of around 15,000 km2, with a population of less than one million people, it seems that everyone knows someone who has been forcibly disappeared or abducted, and many families have had more than one member go missing. (...)

"

Document(s): Report
Executive Summary

11.04.2007 - Source: Prima News

European Court of Human Rights finds Russia guilty in disappearance and death of 61-year-old ("European Court of Human Rights finds Russia guilty in disappearance of man in Chechnya") [ID 19800]

"On April 5, the European Court of Human Rights, in the matter of "Baysayev vs. Russia", has found Russia guilty in the disappearance and death of 61-year-old inhabitant of Chechnya, Shahid Baysayev. The court decisively condemned the practice of disappearances of people in Chechnya and the tolerance of authorities with respect to this situation. (...)

The court expressed serious concern over "disappearances" in Chechnya and noted that they had previously examined similar matters - ("Bazorkina vs. Russia", "Imakayeva vs. Russia", and "Luluyev and others vs. Russia"). The court established that if a man is taken by unidentified soldiers without official acknowledgement of detention, such circumstances can be considered as a creating a threat to life. The court noted that the reaction of authorities to the disappearance "makes it possible to seriously assume, that this situation is, at the least, tolerated". "This means that the court recognizes the seriousness of the situation in Chechnya and will be paying attention to it in the future. ", stated Ole Solvang, Executive Director of "Legal Initiative in Russia".

 The Human Rights Center "Memorial" estimates that since 1999 from 3 to 5 thousand people have disappeared in Chechnya as a result of kidnappings by federal or pro-Russian Chechen structures."

Document(s): Open document

13.03.2007 - Source: Council of Europe - European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment

Evidently abductions continue and in many cases involve an element of unlawful detention; frequently people who had been held unlawfully made reference to facilities located in village of Tsentoroy in Kurchaloy district ("Public statement concerning the Chechen Republic of the Russian Federation [CPT/Inf (2007) 17]") [ID 19474]

"The CPT has received in the past a large number of reports about abductions (forced disappearances) and the related problem of unlawful detention in the Chechen Republic as well as other parts of the North Caucasian region. (...) During the 2006 visits, the CPT's delegation sought, but was not able to obtain, specific statistics concerning abductions. However, it is evident from the information at the CPT's disposal that they continue to constitute a troubling phenomenon in the Chechen Republic and in many cases involve an element of unlawful detention.

In the course of the 2006 visits, the CPT’s delegation again spoke with a number of persons who gave detailed and credible accounts of being unlawfully held – on occasion for prolonged periods – in places in the Chechen Republic. Frequent reference was made to facilities located in the village of Tsentoroy in the Kurchaloy district, run by armed formations allegedly operating under the command of Ramzan Kadyrov, the present Prime Minister of the Chechen Republic. In certain cases, formal complaints had been lodged with the prosecution services relating to unlawful detention and ill-treatment at Tsentoroy. (...)

As already indicated (see paragraph 17), there have been a number of reports of persons being unlawfully detained at a military facility (the “Vega base”) located in the outskirts of Gudermes (currently used by a company of the 2nd Regiment of the Internal Affairs Patrol-Sentry Service) and some formal complaints have been lodged about such detentions."

Document(s): Open document

06.03.2007 - Source: US Department of State

184 abductions documented by Memorial during 2006; reports on government involvement in politically motivated disappearances; criminal groups, possibly linked to rebel forces, also frequently resorted to kidnapping ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2006") [ID 21091]

"There were reports of government involvement in politically motivated disappearances in Chechnya and Ingushetiya, although the number of disappearances declined compared to 2005. In 2005 Memorial documented 316 "abduction" cases; 127 of these "disappeared" without a trace and 23 were found dead. During the year Memorial documented 184 abductions. Of these, Memorial reported that 91 persons were released, 63 "disappeared," 11 found dead, and 19 were under investigation by authorities. Unlike previous years, there were no reports of disappearances of individuals who had appealed court cases to the European Court of Human Rights (see section 1.g.). In April Bulat Chilaev, an employee of the NGO Civic Assistance, and Aslan Israilov disappeared after being detained by armed men thought to be members of the Chechen Republic security forces near Sernovodsk, Chechnya. According to Civic Assistance, investigators found identification at the site of the kidnapping belonging to a member of the West (Zapad) battalion, a Chechen unit attached to the Ministry of Defense, controlled by military intelligence. Chilaev and Israilov were later reported killed on the day they went missing. Criminal groups in the Northern Caucasus, possibly having links to rebel forces, frequently resorted to kidnapping. The main motivation behind such cases apparently was ransom, although some cases had political or religious overtones. The hostage‑takers held many of their victims in Chechnya or Dagestan."

Document(s): Open document

01.2007 - Source: Human Rights Watch

Disappearances remain key feature of conflict; at least 54 people abducted so far in 2006 ("World Report 2007") [ID 19486]

"Although local human rights groups reported a slight decline in the number of abductions leading to forced disappearances in 2006, these disappearances remain a key feature of the conflict, with as many as 5,000 people “disappeared” since 1999 and at least 54 so far in 2006. Reports of torture, especially in unofficial detention centers run by the “Kadyrovtsy” increased in 2006."

Document(s): Open document

14.12.2006 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

Sharoi: In last 8 months, more than 20 people have been abducted from sparsely populated mountain district; military activity has been stepped up in highlands on apparent assumption that remaining rebel fighters are now concentrated there ("Chechnya: Mountain Terror") [ID 17967]

Document(s): Open document

13.11.2006 - Source: Human Rights Watch

While number of reported cases of “disappearances” decreased in 2006, hundreds of people “disappeared” by Kadyrov’s forces remain unaccounted for to date; report on enforced disappearance of Balaudi Melkaev from village Valerik ("Chechnya: Research Shows Widespread and Systematic Use of Torture") [ID 17628]

Document(s): Press release
Briefing paper

13.11.2006 - Source: Human Rights Watch

While number of reported cases of “disappearances” decreased in 2006, hundreds of people “disappeared” by Kadyrov’s forces remain unaccounted for to date, and new cases of “disappearances” continue to be documented ("Chechnya: Research Shows Widespread and Systematic Use of Torture") [ID 21212]

"Continued enforced disappearances in Chechnya are of interest to the committee because they place civilians outside the protection of the law, making them particularly vulnerable to torture. In a number of cases documented by Human Rights Watch during its recent missions and earlier, relatives of the “disappeared” later found the bodies of their loved ones in unmarked graves or other locations. In most cases, the bodies bore marks of torture. Some of those detained by Kadyrov’s forces later “disappear” without a trace. Based on extensive research, Human Rights Watch concluded in 2005 that enforced disappearances in Chechnya are so widespread and systematic that they constitute crimes against humanity. Memorial documented 316 cases of “abductions” in 2005. Of those, 127 “disappeared” without a trace and 23 were found dead, their bodies bearing marks of execution. While the number of reported cases of “disappearances” decreased in 2006, hundreds of people “disappeared” by Kadyrov’s forces remain unaccounted for to date, and Human Rights Watch continued to document new cases of “disappearances,” the latest of which took place in September 2006.""

Document(s): Press release
Briefing paper

12.10.2006 - Source: International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights

Mother of earlier disappeared journalist and civic activist Elina Ersenoeva believed to have been kidnapped ("The Mother of Kidnapped Chechen Journalist Elina Ersenoyeva “Disappeared”") [ID 17530]

Document(s): Open document

06.09.2006 - Source: Freedom House

Human rights groups report ongoing operation of illegal filtration camps by Russian authorities and Alkhanov’s security forces and question Alkhanov’s assertion, that disappearances became much less frequent in 2005 ("The Worst of the Worst: The World's Most Repressive Societies 2006") [ID 17262]

"As a result of the widespread conflict, the rule of law is virtually nonexistent. Civilians are subjected to harassment and violence, including torture, rape, and extrajudicial executions, at the hands of Russian soldiers, while senior Russian military authorities have shown disregard for such abuses. Human rights groups report the ongoing operation of illegal filtration camps by Russian authorities and Alkhanov’s security forces. The camps detain and “filter” out Chechens suspected of ties to rebel groups, with “filtration” often used as a euphemism for “murder.” Pro-Moscow Chechen authorities admitted in 2005 that up to 60,000 people had lost a relative or friend in so-called disappearances since the start of the second Chechen war in 1999. Although Alkhanov’s regime reported that disappearances became much less frequent in 2005, human rights groups questioned his assertion. Chechen rebels frequently capture Russian soldiers during combat, enslaving them, trading them among themselves, and ultimately selling them back to their families."

Document(s): Open document

03.08.2006 - Source: Memorial Human Rights Center

Abductions and killings continued in 2005-2006; Memorial has registered 125 incidents of abduction of people, of which 63 persons were released or ransomed by relatives, 45 gone missing, 8 found dead, and 9 currently under investigation ("On the Situation of Residents of Chechnya in the Russian Federation (July 2005-July 2006)") [ID 17771]

"Russian officials are saying that the situation in Chechnya has stabilized and transition has been made to the phase of rebuilding its social and economic spheres. However, if this situation is to be called stable, one has to admit that it is a stability of lawlessness and fear. Indeed, statistical figures suggest that abduction and killing figures have fallen in the last two years. Still, one has to take into account the fact that these positive trends do not accurately enough reflect the situation, since a significant portion of abductions are not on the authorities' radar screen. Abductions and killings continued in 2005-2006. As of the end of June, staff of Memorial HRC have registered 125 incidents of abduction of people, of which 63 persons were released or ransomed by relatives, 45 gone missing, eight found dead, and nine are currently under investigation. During the first six months of 2006, according to the figures of Memorial HRC, 47 people were killed in the Chechen Republic, including 18 civilians, 11 officers from security agencies, and eight members of armed Chechen groups. Ten people were not identified and buried as unknown."

Document(s): Russian-language report
English-language report

15.03.2006 - Source: Council of Europe - Commissioner for Human Rights

Chechnya: Report on a fact finding mission of the Human Rights Commissioner: Main problems remain security situation, disappearances and impunity; there is strong suspicion that beside criminal gangs and separatist combatants also members of the Chechen security forces are responsible for disappearances ("Report by Mr. Alvaro Gil-Robles, Commissioner for Human Rights, on his visit to the Chechen Republic of the Russian Federation, 25-26 February 2006 [CommDH(2006) 4]") [#46674],  [ID 16229]

Document(s): Open document

08.03.2006 - Source: US Department of State

Federal forces reportedly ransomed Chechen detainees or their corpses to their families; bodies of several rebels were not returned to families ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2005") [#46144],  [ID 16230]

"Federal forces and police units reportedly ransomed Chechen detainees (and, at times, their corpses) to their families for prices ranging from several hundred to thousands of dollars. Citing antiterrorism laws, federal authorities refused to return the body of Chechen separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov after security forces killed him on March 8. In October the authorities also refused to return bodies of fighters who attacked the city of Nalchik. Since the start of the Chechen conflict, there have been widespread reports that federal troops killed or tortured suspected rebel fighters they had detained and that rebel fighters killed or abused captured federal troops and pro‑Moscow Chechen security forces. A policy of "no surrender" appeared to prevail in many units on both sides."

Document(s): Open document

08.03.2006 - Source: US Department of State

Abductions and disappearances continued to occur following operations conducted by pro-Moscow forces; Memorial estimates that 3000 to 5000 have disappeared since 1999 ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2005") [#46144],  [ID 16231]

"Likewise, there were no reliable estimates of the number of those detained, abducted, or made to disappear. While Chechen rebels and criminals seeking ransom carried out many abductions and disappearances, federal and pro-Moscow Chechen forces were also involved. Government sources indicated that 67 people were abducted through mid-December compared to 168 in 2004, according to press reports. Chechen President Alu Alkhanov said 77 people were abducted in 2005, compared to 213 in 2004. Memorial reported that in the 25 to 30 percent of Chechnya to which its monitors had access, 316 persons were abducted during the year, of whom 151 were freed or ransomed, 23 were found dead, 15 were thought to be in detention, and 127 disappeared. Memorial reported that 448 persons were abducted in 2004 and has estimated that 3 thousand to 5 thousand have gone missing in Chechnya since 1999. Memorial reported that it has information on 1,200 cases where people disappeared after being detained by federal security forces since fall 1999. The federal prosecutor's office reported in December 2004 that 2,437 persons had been abducted in Chechnya in that period. Abductions and disappearances continued to occur following operations conducted by federal forces, pro-Moscow Chechen forces, and joint operations involving Chechen and Russian units, according to various sources. Presidential Advisor Aslanbek Aslakhanov was cited in the press as saying that he could not rule out the involvement of forces under command of Chechen First Deputy Prime Minister Ramzan Kadyrov or federal forces in such activities. Colonel General Arkadiy Yedelev, head of the Russian forces general staff in the Northern Caucasus, acknowledged in February that federal forces and pro-Moscow Chechen forces had taken part in disappearances of civilians."

Document(s): Open document

08.03.2006 - Source: US Department of State

Statistics point to a decline in abductions and disappearances compared to previous years; human rights groups and the authorities interprete the data differently ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2005") [#46144],  [ID 16232]

"Although incidents continued, the statistics of both the authorities and Memorial appeared to point to a decline in abductions and disappearances compared to previous years, but human rights groups and the authorities interpreted the data differently. Government spokesmen attributed the apparent decline in abductions to efforts begun by the Chechen government in June 2004 to reinforce existing requirements that military forces have license plates on their vehicles when entering a village, be accompanied by a representative of the prosecutor's office and local officials, identify themselves when entering a house, prepare lists of all persons arrested during the operation, and share those lists with local authorities. Chechen officials subsequently declared a ban on law enforcement officers wearing masks. Colonel General Arkadiy Yedelev, chief of counterterrorist operations in the Northern Caucasus, asserted that requirements that regional security headquarters approve all raids to detain suspected rebels and that Chechen prosecutors be notified of such operations in advance had led to a decrease in abductions. Human rights groups attributed at least part of the statistical decline to the reluctance of detainees' relatives to complain to the authorities or human rights groups out of fear of reprisals. Citing numerous incidents in which unidentified armed men wearing camouflage broke into houses and abducted civilians, they expressed skepticism about government assertions that regulations governing the behavior of security forces were being more closely observed. Although federal forces were believed to have engaged in fewer abductions, this was to some extent offset by the increasing role of the pro-Moscow Chechen security forces under the command of Deputy Prime Minister Ramzan Kadyrov, either by themselves or in joint operations with federal forces. Human rights groups reported that these forces were frequently suspected of disappearances and abductions, including those of family members of rebel commanders and fighters. The International Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights estimated in a February report that Kadyrov's militia was responsible for up to 75 percent of the crimes in Chechnya. For example the press reported that a 25-year-old resident of Argun was found dead in a rock quarry in June after members of the militia arrested him. Two days after being arrested, the victim was released after having been badly beaten. A few days later, he was ordered to return for further questioning and was not seen again until his body was discovered."

Document(s): Open document

26.02.2006 - Source: ReliefWeb

Chechnya: Council of Europe commissioner for human rights calls on local authorities to tackle problem of kidnappings; Russian human rights groups accuse Kadyrov-militia of being behind hundreds of kidnappings every year ("European human rights chief raps Russian rule in Chechnya (AFP)") [#45096],  [ID 16233]

"The Council of Europe's human rights chief called Sunday on local authorities in the war-torn province of Chechnya to tackle the problem of kidnappings, amid accusations of Moscow-backed repressions. "It's imperative to put an end to this social gangrene and bring those responsible for such crimes to trial," Alvaro Gil-Robles said in a speech to Chechnya's local parliament, elected last November as part of a Kremlin-driven process of political normalisation in the province. "Only the justice system will allow the hatred not to be transmitted from generation to generation," said Gil-Robles, who is the Council of Europe's commissioner for human rights. "Security forces should fulfil their function of guaranteeing everyone's security," he added. Russian human rights groups accuse a powerful militia controlled by the province's strongman Ramzan Kadyrov and serving under orders from Russian forces, of being behind hundreds of kidnappings every year. Chechen authorities deny the accusation and blame criminal groups for continuing violence."

Document(s): Open document

17.01.2006 - Source: ReliefWeb

Chechnya: Authorities said they had set up data bank to try to trace thousands of people kidnapped over last 14 years; continuing abductions and clashes between Russian troops and separatist rebels ("Chechen data bank lists thousands of kidnapped persons (AFP)") [#42376],  [ID 16235]

"Chechen authorities said Tuesday they had set up a data bank to try to trace the thousands of people kidnapped in the war-ravaged Caucasian republic over the last 14 years. The bank contains data on 2,548 people who have gone missing since 1991, they said, stressing however that the kidnappings really began during the first separatist war with Russia, in 1994. President Alu Alkhanov said that in 77 people had been abducted in Chechnya last year, down from 213 in 2004."

Document(s): Open document

01.2006 - Source: Human Rights Watch

Between 2000 and 5000 people have "disappeared" since 1999, more than 140 in the first nine months of 2005 ("World Report 2006") [#42318],  [ID 16236]

"Enforced disappearances continue to be the conflict’s hallmark abuse, with local groups estimating that between two thousand and five thousand people have “disappeared” since 1999 including, according to official figures, more than 140 in the first nine months of 2005. The “disappearances” have followed a clear pattern: the victims are overwhelmingly men between the ages of eighteen and forty, and are always unarmed at the time of apprehension. The perpetrators, in the majority of cases, are clearly identifiable as Russian troops or as belonging to pro-Moscow Chechen commandos. Most “disappearances” have happened in two standards sets of circumstances: in large Russian raids during which troops blocked off and systematically search entire villages or towns, or during targeted raids in the middle of the night. The Russian government, though long aware of both the frequency and pattern of enforced disappearances, has taken few steps to stop the practice."

Document(s): Open document

01.2006 - Source: Human Rights Watch

In 2004 and 2005 pro-Russian Chechen forces under command of Ramzan Kadyrov became main perpetrators of "disappearances" ("World Report 2006") [#42318],  [ID 16237]

"As part of Russia’s policy of “Chechenization” of the conflict, pro-Moscow Chechen forces under the command of Ramzan Kadyrov have played an increasingly active role in the conflict. In 2004 and 2005, they gradually replaced federal troops as the main perpetrators of “disappearances.” They run their own prisons—entirely outside any official penitentiary structure—where they detain, and often ill-treat, hundreds of people. These troops are also responsible for the reprehensible practice of taking hostages among relatives of rebel leaders as a way of forcing the latter to surrender. The Kremlin not only tolerates these practices but has effectively endorsed them by naming Ramzan Kadyrov deputy prime minister of Chechnya and bestowing a Hero of Russia award on him."

Document(s): Open document

08.11.2005 - Source: Amnesty International

Chechnya: Between 3,000 and 5,000 people missing following abductions, arbitrary arrests and detentions since start of second Chechen conflict in 1999 (""Disappearances" and abductions in the Chechen Republic") [#38836],  [ID 16238]

Document(s): Open document

08.11.2005 - Source: Amnesty International

Concerns about fate of Ali Khadaev from Urus-Martan who went missing after group of men in camouflage uniforms took him away from his home ("The case of Ali Khadaev") [#38855],  [ID 16239]

Document(s): Open document

08.11.2005 - Source: Amnesty International

Concerns about fate and well-being of 2 women who went missing after they were taken from house in Chechen village of Ulus-Kert by armed, masked men in dark blue uniforms in 2003 ("The case of Aminat Dugaeva and Kurbika Zinabdieva") [#38846],  [ID 16240]

Document(s): Open document

08.11.2005 - Source: Amnesty International

Concerns about fate and well-being of men who went missing after he was detained by Russian federal forces during raid on Chechen village of Starye Atagi in 2002 ("The case of Aslan Akhmadov") [#38843],  [ID 16241]

Document(s): Open document

08.11.2005 - Source: Amnesty International

Concerns about fate and well-being of men who went missing after he was detained by armed men in Chechen town of Shali in 2003 ("The case of Timur Soltakhanov") [#38841],  [ID 16242]

Document(s): Open document

07.11.2005 - Source: Schweizerische Flüchtlingshilfe

Transfer of responsibility to Chechen forces leads to increase in abductions ("Tschetschenien: Update: Entwicklungen in Tschetschenien, Inguschetien, Dagestan und anderen Teilen der Russischen Föderation") [#38928],  [ID 16243]

"Fürs Jahr 2004 belegt «Memorial» die Entführung von 396 Menschen in dem Teil Tschetscheniens, in dem die Organisation aktiv ist und der etwa einen Drittel des Territoriums ausmacht. Von den knapp 400 Entführten wurden 187 in der Folge meist gegen Lösegeld freigelassen, 24 wurden tot aufgefunden und 175 blieben verschwunden. Diese Zahlen sind geringfügig niedriger als im vorangehenden Jahr.36 Im Jahr 2005 hat die Zahl insbesondere entführter junger Frauen und Mädchen laut einem Artikel der Zeitung Cecenskoe obšcestvo, der sich auf Angaben von «Memorial» stützt, wieder stark zugenommen. Die Entführungen laufen offenbar immer nach demselben Schema ab: Bis zu den Zähnen bewaffnete Männer in Kampfanzügen fahren in den Siedlungen vor, zerren junge Frauen aus den Häusern und fahren mit ihnen davon. Einige der Opfer werden in der Folge tot aufgefunden, andere bleiben spurlos verschwunden.37 Gemäss «Memorial» hängt die Zunahme von Entführungen mit der Übertragung der Aufgaben an tschetschenische Einheiten zusammen. Als Russische Truppen das Gros der «Sicherheitsaufgaben» erfüllten und die Kritik an den Entführungen immer lauter wurde, war deren Zahl eine Weile lang rückläufig. Seit nun die Truppen des tschetschenischen Innenministeriums, insbesondere die Kadyrovci viele der genannten Aufgaben übernommen haben, kommt es offensichtlich wieder vermehrt zu Entführungen. Die Untersuchungen von Entführungen bleiben in der Regel ergebnislos. Vermehrt haben Sicherheitskräfte wie oben erwähnt Verwandte von «Rebellen» als Geiseln genommen. Nachdem Rebellenführer Chambiiev so zur Aufgabe gezwungen worden war, wurden auch Verwandte Aslan Maschadows in Geiselhaft genommen."

Document(s): Open document

26.10.2005 - Source: International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights

Zarema Buraeva and her brothers Ali and Baudin Buraev disappeared in Grozny on 2 October 2005; Salman Arsanukaev and his son Khamzat tortured and executed on 18 October 2005 ("Open Letter to the Prosecutor of the Chechen Republic about the Dissapearence of Zarema Buraeva and Her Two Brothers, and the Torture and Extrajudicial Execution of Salman Arsanukaev and His Son") [#39231],  [ID 16244]

Document(s): Open document

30.09.2005 - Source: Amnesty International

Report on human rights violations in Chechnya and Ingushetia (torture, ill-treatment, abduction, arbitrary and incommunicado detention of civilians) ("Torture, "disappearances" and alleged unfair trials in Russia’s North Caucasus") [#37140],  [ID 16245]

Document(s): Open document

30.08.2005 - Source: Amnesty International

Chechnya: Relatives of about 2,500 abducted or "disappeared" people often risk becoming victims of "disappearance" or other human rights violations themselves ("Agony without end for families of the "disappeared"") [#36025],  [ID 16246]

Document(s): Open document

07.07.2005 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Officials: 200 abductions in Chechnya 2005 so far ("Officials Says 200 Abductions In Chechnya This Year") [#38491],  [ID 16247]

Document(s): Open document

15.06.2005 - Source: ReliefWeb

Chechnya: 70 people were kidnapped in first 5 months of this year; Russian authorities mostly blamed the kidnappings on rebels or organised criminal gangs ("Russian officials say 70 kidnapped in Chechnya in first five months of year (AFP)") [#32889],  [ID 16248]

Document(s): Open document

06.06.2005 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Chechnya: According to pro-Moscow president Russian forces are involved in 5 to 10 per cent of all kidnappings in the region, but abductions are declining ("Chechen President: Russians Involved In Kidnappings") [#32774],  [ID 16249]

Document(s): Open document

03.06.2005 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Chechnya: Seven relatives of Aslan Maskhadov, who were kidnapped in December 2004, have been released; the perpetrators of this abduction still remain unknown ("Chechnya: Kidnapped Relatives Of Slain Leader Released") [#32597],  [ID 16250]

Document(s): Open document

03.06.2005 - Source: Council of Europe - Parliamentary Assembly

Frightening trend of hostage taking of relatives of suspected terrorists ("Honouring of obligations and commitments by the Russian Federation [Doc. 10568]") [#32710],  [ID 16251]

"266. A new frightening trend is also that of hostage taking of relatives of suspected terrorists in order to force them to give themselves up by threatening their relatives with torture and murder. Such methods are totally unacceptable criminal acts that must be stamped out by the Federal and Chechen authorities. In this regard we were astounded to learn about the statement of the Russian Federation Prosecutor General Mr Ustinov made during a State Duma's hearing in November 2004 where he suggested taking hostages as a possible measure to fight terrorism152. Russian human rights NGOs demanded from the President to dismiss the Prosecutor General for this proposal which violates a number of international human rights documents. 267. We hope that this statement by the Prosecutor General bears no relation to the abduction in December 2004, allegedly carried out by employees of the power structures under control of the First Deputy Prime Minister of the Chechen government Ramzan Kadyrov (the so-called "kadyrovtsi"), of eight relatives of Aslan Maskhadov."

Document(s): Open document

01.06.2005 - Source: International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights

Chechnya: Report focused on disappearances and extrajudicial killings in Sernovodsk and other villages of Sunzha District (cases of 2004 documented) ("Chechnya – Disappearances and Extrajudicial Killings in Sernovodsk and Other Villages of the Sunzha District of Chechnya. July-August 2004") [#33062],  [ID 16252]

Document(s): Open document

19.05.2005 - Source: International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights

Chechnya: 396 cases of kidnapping documented in 2004 by the Human Rights Center Memorial; investigations remain widely ineffective ("Human Rights in the OSCE Region: Europe, Central Asia and North America, Report 2005 (Events 2004)") [#32117],  [ID 16253]

"During the year, the Human Rights Center Memorial documented the kidnapping of 396 people in the part of Chechnya where it was engaged in monitoring (which corresponds to about 30% of the whole territory). Out of these, 187 were subsequently set free or released for ransom, 24 were found dead and 175 went missing. Compared to the previous year, the number of documented cases of kidnapping decreased by 17% and the number of “disappearances” by 36%. In its monitoring, the IHF observed that victims were less likely to report abuses perpetrated by “Kadyrovtsi” than abuses by federal forces because of greater safety fears. As a result, the number of abductions and kidnappings registered by Memorial was likely to show an artificial decrease. Investigations into kidnappings and “disappearances” were widely ineffective."

Document(s): Open document

22.04.2005 - Source: ReliefWeb

Chechnya: more than 20 people abducted by Chechen and Russian law enforcement agencies and soldiers in 4 villages of the Shali and Grozny rural districts within one month ("More than twenty people have been kidnapped within the space of one month in two districts of Chechnya (PW)") [#31531],  [ID 16254]

Document(s): Open document

12.04.2005 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Chechnya: According to a member of pro-Russian Chechen government constitutional rights committee nearly 1,700 people have been abducted in Chechnya and are still missing; however, number of abductions dropped significantly in the past year ("Chechen Government Says 1,700 People Missing in Republic") [#31297],  [ID 16255]

Document(s): Open document

21.03.2005 - Source: Human Rights Watch

Chechnya: report focused on the current situation, disappearances, torture, killings in custody and impunity ("Worse Than a War: “Disappearances” in Chechnya—a Crime Against Humanity") [#30410],  [ID 16256]

Document(s): Open document

17.02.2005 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Chechnya: More than 1000 people are believed to have been kidnapped in 2004; possible involvement of Chechen security forces and federal troops in these abductions ("Rights Groups Says Abductions Rampant In Chechnya") [#29027],  [ID 16257]

"Anna Neistat of Human Rights Watch told a news conference in Moscow that the group has "strong reasons" to believe that Chechen security forces under the command of Chechen deputy Prime Minister Ramzan Kadyrov, as well as federal troops, were involved in the abductions. The group estimates that Kadyrov's men were responsible for about two-thirds of the disappearances and that the rest were carried out by federal soldiers. Neistat said that during a recent two-week trip to Chechnya representatives of the New York-based group were told by Chechens that Kadyrov's forces increasingly target women, elderly people and teenagers."

Document(s): Open document

07.02.2005 - Source: International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights

Zumsoy: unlawful detention and disappearance of 4 men, reported; detentions were accompanied by verbal abuses, heavy looting and the destruction of private property ("Open Letter to the Prosecutor of the Chechen Republic Regarding the Disappearance of Four Men from the Village Zumsoy on 14 and 15 January 2005") [#29775],  [ID 16234]

Document(s): Open document

04.02.2005 - Source: Amnesty International

There are still no news of Chechen human rights lawyer who was seized by armed men on 20 January in Grozny; there are concerns that he is at serious risk of being tortured, or killed ("Russian Federation - Further Information on UA 18/05") [#28794],  [ID 16258]

Document(s): Open document
Open document

01.02.2005 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

According to Human rights groups behind the majority of abductions in Chechnya are members of local power structures, which are controlled by Ramzan Kadyrov; relatives of separatist leader Maskhadov allegedly abducted by security forces ("Chechnya: Human Rights Activists Say Police Involved In Abductions") [#28696],  [ID 16259]

Document(s): Open document

26.01.2005 - Source: Amnesty International

Chechnya: 8 relatives of Maskhdadov arbitrarily detained by so-called Kadyrovtsy armed forces in December 2004, and have not been seen since; according to reports, they are being held at an illegal detention facility in Tsenteroi ("Concerns over reports of "disappearances" of relatives of Aslan Maskhadov") [#28510],  [ID 16260]

Document(s): Open document

21.01.2005 - Source: International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights

Staropromyslovsky Raion, Grozny: human rights lawyer and former deputy prosecutor, Makhmut Magomadov, abducted by a group of of unknown Chechen-speaking persons ("Abduction of Human Rights Lawyer Makhmut Magomadov") [#28495],  [ID 16261]

Document(s): Open document

12.01.2005 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

Chechnya: several Kotar-Yurt residents detained during ‘clean-up’operation led by deputy PM Kadyrovand, and have since disappeared; 2 Grozny residents detained and tortured by members of Chechnya’s pro-Moscow presidential security service (Kadyrovtsy) ("Chechnya: New Year, New Brutality") [#28165],  [ID 16262]

"Members of Chechnya’s pro-Moscow presidential security service – or “Kadyrovtsy” as they are more commonly known – supported by Russian federal soldiers surrounded a series of villages in the Achkhoi-Martan region in the west of the republic last week and carried out the brutal search operations known as “clean-ups”. All the villagers in Valerik and Kotar-Yurt were made to show their documents and many houses were forcibly searched. The January 4 operation was led by deputy prime minister Ramzan Kadyrov, son of former Chechen leader Akhmad Kadyrov after whom the presidential unit is named. In Kotar-Yurt, several locals were detained and have since disappeared. One of them, Aslan Gairbekov, had recently returned from Russia. Another man, a 27-year-old with the surname Yamlikhanov, had reportedly fought in the first Chechen conflict of 1994-96 and been officially amnestied, but this did not save him from being taken away by the Kadyrovtsy. [...] Many believe that the upsurge in brutality, especially on the part of the Kadyrovtsy, stems from their ambition finally to track down Maskhadov and radical Chechen commander Shamil Basayev, both of whom have operated freely in Chechnya for more than five years since the start of the second Chechen conflict in 1999. On January 2, more than two dozen Kadyrovtsy made a raid on a house in the Proletarskoye suburb of Grozny and detained 23-year-old Zaurbek Gaziev, father of two small children."

Document(s): Open document

12.01.2005 - Source: International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights

Grozny: unlawful detention, disappearance and shooting of Zaurbek Gaziev, reported ("Russian Federation: Open Letter to the Prosecutor of the Chechen Republic Regarding the Disappearance of Zaurbek Gaziev on 1 January 2005") [#28261],  [ID 16263]

Document(s): Open document

04.08.2004 - Source: International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights

Chechnya - cases of disappearances, extrajudicial killings, unlawful detentions, documented ("Chechnya: Enforced “Disappearances”, Extrajudicial Killings and Unlawful Detentions – An Update") [#24474],  [ID 16264]

Document(s): Open document

24.05.2004 - Source: Schweizerische Flüchtlingshilfe

Trade with hostages ("Tschetschenien und die tschetschenische Bevölkerung in der Russischen Föderation ") [#23046],  [ID 16265]

"Wer im Rahmen einer Säuberung nicht stirbt, wird zur Geisel. In den vergangen Jahren hat sich in Tschetschenien ein regelrechter Geiselhandel etabliert, von dem die verschiedenen Kriegsparteien profitieren. Swetlana Gannuschkina berichtet beispielsweise von einer Frau in einem Flüchtlingslager in Inguschetien, deren drei Söhne im Jahr 2003 entführt worden waren. Die Frau habe ihre Söhne für insgesamt 2600 US Dollar losgekauft. Kurz darauf sei die Familie aufgefordert worden, nach Tschetschenien zurückzukehren. Als der Ehemann und der älteste Sohn dorthin gefahren seien, um die Situation zu erkunden, seien sie beide erneut entführt worden. Nun wisse sie nicht, woher sie das Geld zur Befreiung nehmen solle.57 Auch das russische Innenministerium ist sich des Problems bewusst. Für das Jahr 2003 meldet es 605 Entführungen in Tschetschenien. In nur 51 Fällen sei die Geisel in der Folge befreit worden. Memorial vermutet, dass die Zahl der Entführungen noch weit höher sei. Die Organisation betreibt in rund einem Drittel der Republik regelmässiges Monitoring und meldet für 2003 477 und für das erste Quartal 2004 bereits 78 Entführungen.58 Memorial geht ausserdem davon aus, dass die Mehrheit der Entführungen von russischen Sicherheitskräften und Kadyrowzi ausgeführt würden.59 Immer öfter kommen Verschleppungen auch in der Nachbarrepublik Tschetscheniens, in Inguschetien vor.60"

Document(s): Open document

14.05.2004 - Source: BBC News

Chechnya: 3 school students have been kidnapped by unknown assailants in Dyshne-Vedeno ("Attackers abduct Chechen pupils") [#22324],  [ID 16266]

Document(s): Open document

14.04.2004 - Source: ReliefWeb

Chechnya: More than 600 people were kidnapped in Chechnya in 2003 and only 51 of them had been released ("More than 600 kidnapped in Chechnya in 2003: Russian ministry (AFP)") [#21635],  [ID 16267]

"More than 600 people were kidnapped in Russia's war-torn republic of Chechnya in 2003 and only 51 of them had been released, the interior ministry said Wednesday. "During last year we have officially recorded the kidnappings of 854 people in the southern federal region, including 605 in Chechnya," said Boris Gavrilov, a top official at the ministry. "Out of these, 253 people have been freed, including 51 in Chechnya," the Interfax news agency quoted him as saying. Russia's southern federal region contains 13 regions, including Chechnya and the other republics in the North Caucasus. In February, Russia's leading human rights group Memorial said it had recorded 477 kidnappings on the 30 percent of Chechnya's territory that it is able to monitor. "The majority were committed by Russian troops and security services, as well as the forces of (Chechen President) Akhmad Kadyrov," Memorial's Alexander Cherkassov said at the time."

Document(s): Open document

10.04.2004 - Source: Prima News

Chechnya: Young woman kidnapped in village of Tolstoy-Yurt ("A young woman kidnapped in the Grozny region") [#21338],  [ID 16268]

"On the night of April 9 in the village of Tolstoy-Yurt in the Grozny region armed forces in masks and camouflage kidnapped a young woman. [...] Threatening physical force, they pulled the daughter of the mistress of the house, 29 year old Zara, out onto the street and forcibly placed her inside one of the cars and drove off in an unknown direction. The motives of the crime are unknown. The fate of the woman had yet to be ascertained."

Document(s): Open document

10.03.2004 - Source: Prima News

Aslambek Khambiev, who was kidnapped on March 1 from a building in Grozny University by representatives of the Chechen administration , has been set free ("A kidnapped student set free") [#20322],  [ID 16269]

Document(s): Open document

03.03.2004 - Source: Chechen Times

Chechnya: Report on abductions and killings of civilians ("Four dead bodies discovered in Chechnya; people still missing (CNO Information Center)") [#20324],  [ID 16270]

Document(s): Open document

27.02.2004 - Source: Prima News

Chechnya: Media report on new kidnappings of civilians ("New Kidnappings in Chechnya") [#19842],  [ID 16271]

Document(s): Open document

09.02.2004 - Source: ReliefWeb

Chechnya: more than 470 Chechens kidnapped in 2003, mostly by Russian troops or forces of the pro-Moscow President Akhmad Kadyrov, according to human rights Memorial organization ("Nearly 500 Chechens kidnapped in 2003: rights group (AFP)") [#19217],  [ID 16272]

"More than 470 Chechens were kidnapped in the war-torn republic during 2003, mostly by Russian troops or forces of the pro-Moscow President Akhmad Kadyrov, Russia's leading human rights organization said Monday. Out of the 477 people kidnapped, "155 were released, 49 have been found dead and 273 are listed as missing," Alexander Cherkassov, of the respected Memorial organization, told AFP. "We monitor kidnapping cases on only 30 percent of Chechnya's territory, where there is only half of the population, so the real scale of the problem might be larger," he said. "The majority of the kidnappings were committed by the Russian troops and security services, as well as the forces of Akhmad Kadyrov," Memorial said."

Document(s): Open document

23.01.2004 - Source: International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights

Chechnya: human rights activist who was kidnapped on 10 January by a 50-man armed formation was found dead near Gudermes/ he was also tortured ("A Human Rights Activist is Kidnapped, Tortured, and Murdered In Chechnya") [#18980],  [ID 16273]

Document(s): Open document

10.12.2003 - Source: ReliefWeb

Chechnya: the head of administration in the town of Alkhan-Kala abducted/ 4 teenagers who were abducted 11 days ago found dead ("Town head abducted, four teenagers slain in Chechnya violence (AFP)") [#18105],  [ID 16274]

Document(s): Open document

07.11.2003 - Source: International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights

Among the 565 criminal cases concerning abductions opened in 2002, there exists evidence in approximately 300 of the involvement of members of the federal forces ("Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment") [#17377],  [ID 16275]

"In relation to forced disappearances, the prosecutor of the Chechen Republic has assessed that from among the 565 criminal cases concerning abductions opened in 2002, there exists evidence in approximately 300 of the involvement of members of the federal forces. As regards 2003, senior members of the Chechen administration indicated to the European Committee that the problem of disappearances continues unabated -- the figure of 233 was mentioned for the first four months of the year -- and that there is evidence of the involvement of members of federal forces in a significant proportion of those cases."

Document(s): Open document

05.09.2003 - Source: Prima News

Chechnya/Achkoi-Martan: 19-year-old resident of Khambi-Irzi village abducted by several armed men in army vehicles ("Another abduction in Chechnya") [#15787],  [ID 16276]

Document(s): Open document

04.09.2003 - Source: ReliefWeb

Chechnya: more than 2,000 Chechens reported missing since the start of the second Chechen conflict four years ago/ most civilian disappearances are attributed by relatives to Russian troops and members of pro-Russian Chechen militias ("More than 2,000 missing in Chechnya since conflict began: official (AFP)") [#15775],  [ID 16277]

Document(s): Open document

11.08.2003 - Source: ReliefWeb

Chechnya: Cases of disappearances almost daily ("Daily kidnappings refute Russian claim of order in Chechnya (AFP)") [#15087],  [ID 16278]

Document(s): Open document

15.07.2003 - Source: ReliefWeb

Adam Novrizov and Rouslan Gueirikhanov, two Chechen civilians disappeared after being taken by armed men in camouflaged uniforms; disappearances now occur almost daily ("Civilians disappear in unmarked cars in Chechnya (AFP)") [#14581],  [ID 16279]

"Adam Novrizov and Rouslan Gueirikhanov, two Chechen civilians, joined the ranks of the disappeared in the early hours of Tuesday, officials said. Their disappearance was reported by the Ria-Novosti news agency, quoting the Russian ministry of the interior in the Chechen capital, Grozny. According to the reports, 10 armed men in camouflage uniforms came for Novrizov at 3.30 in the morning. An hour later, in the same small village of Novye-Aldy, the men came for Gueirikhanov. Resident said they drove away in several unmarked cars with blanked out license plates. And that may be the last time anyone hears of them, according to human rights organizations."

Document(s): Open document

20.06.2003 - Source: Human Rights Watch

Chechnya: some 60 people disappear every month/ Russian officials recently admitted the existence of 49 mass graves, containing the remains of almost 3,000 people ("U.K.: Inconsistent Blair urged to speak out on Chechnya") [#13657],  [ID 16280]

Document(s): Open document

09.05.2003 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

215 residents of Chechnya disappeared this year - 45 of them since the referendum was held on March 23 ("Chechnya: Disappearances Mount") [#12674],  [ID 16282]

Document(s): Open document

17.04.2003 - Source: Amnesty International

Chechen civilians continue to "disappear" during raids by Russian troops on villages, many have later been found in mass graves ("UN Commission on Human Rights: Defeat of Chechnya resolution extremely disappointing") [#12161],  [ID 16283]

""Human rights abuses continue to take place on a daily basis in Chechnya. The Commission's lack of action on this situation is a blatant disregard of the suffering of the victims of such abuses and their relatives, and the risks to which civilians continue to be exposed." Chechen civilians continue to "disappear" during raids by Russian troops on villages, many have later been found in mass graves."

Document(s): Open document

04.03.2003 - Source: Council of Europe - Secretary General

Council of Europe: Number of disappearances has increased since the beginning of 2003 ("Twenty-sixth interim report by the Secretary General on the presence of the Council of Europe’s experts in the Office of the Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for ensuring Human Rights and Civil Rights and Freedoms in the Chechen Republic [SG/Inf(2003) 7]") [#11304],  [ID 16285]

"5. The human rights situation has considerably worsened since the New Year 2003. The number of disappearances has increased. The Office of the Special Representative registered 63 such cases in January 2003. According to the prosecutor of the Achkhoi-Martan and Sunzhenskiy Districts, cases of disappearances are almost impossible to investigate due to lack of evidence. In this connection, a meeting between district civilian prosecutors and the Prosecutor of the Chechen Republic was held in February 2003."

Document(s): Open document
Addendum

29.01.2003 - Source: Human Rights Watch

HRW: Cases of forced disappearances ("Into Harm’s Way: Forced Return of Displaced People to Chechnya") [#10533],  [ID 16287]

"Human Rights Watch received press reports of dozens of disappearances that occurred in the two months prior to its field mission. We were able to document eight incidents involving seventeen individuals: Issa Abumuslimov. At about 3:00 a.m. on December 11, a group of masked men in camouflage uniforms came to the home of Issa Abumuslimov, a fifty-two-year-old engineer who was bedridden after breaking his leg when a wall collapsed on him three months earlier. The soldiers tied up Abumuslimov’s wife and looted the home before taking away Abumuslimov on their APC, a vehicle used solely by Russian forces. His wife, Raisa Abumuslimova, told Human Rights Watch that she believed the men to be Russian contract soldiers (kontraktniki, usually older than conscript soldiers, who fight in Chechnya under contract), because they spoke fluent Russian, and were older than conscript soldiers.[83] Three men from Oktyabrski district of Grozny. Shortly before 3:00 a.m. on December 10, a group of five masked soldiers in white camouflage uniforms entered the home of Issa Dokaev, aged thirty-three, in the Oktyabrski district of Grozny. The soldiers tied up Dokaev and two house guests, Issa Dubaev, aged twenty, who worked as a policeman in the pro-Moscow Chechen militia, and Ruslan (last name unknown), aged forty, who worked in the passport office of the pro-Moscow administration. The soldiers, who had arrived on foot, then attempted to start Dokaev’s car, but finally abandoned that effort and took the three detainees away on foot. Dokaev’s relatives believe the soldiers were Russian because they spoke pure, unaccented Russian, and ordered them to speak Russian after they addressed one of the guests in Chechen, because the soldiers could not understand Chechen.[84] Five men from Novye Atagi. At about 7:30 a.m. on November 5, 2002, a large group of Russian troops in APCs arrived in the village of Novye Atagi for a sweep operation. The soldiers went to several homes in the village, beating up civilians and taking away five villagers who have since “disappeared.” The names of the five men are Khamzat Debizov, aged twenty-eight; Akhmat Kasumov, aged twenty-three; Mohammed Kasumov, aged twenty-six; Bislan Taisumov, aged nineteen; and a twenty-year-old man from the Arsanukaev family.[85] Three men in Grozny. On the afternoon of November 3, a Chechen police officer and his two friends “disappeared” in Grozny.[86] They were last seen eating lunch at a café in Grozny, which they left at 3:00 p.m. to return to their homes in a village south of Grozny. On that day, a Russian military helicopter was shot down over Khankala military base, around the same time the three men left Grozny for their home village, located near the base. The police officer’s superiors first informed the family that he was being detained at the Khankala military base, but later denied that they had any knowledge of his whereabouts.[87] Bislan Shabazgeriev and Aiub Ezerbiev. On November 1, 2002, twenty-five-year-old Bislan Shabazgeriev and his friend Aiub Ezerbiev traveled from the small village of Avtury, located in southern Chechnya, to the nearby town of Shali to place a telephone call to his mother, who had recently been operated on in Ro