Who abducted and beat the AMNESTY International employee in Ingushetia

Beat, beat, they will beat

On the evening of October 6, in Magas, unknown armed people in masks abducted the researcher of the Russian branch of the international human rights organization Amnesty International Oleg Kozlovsky. Kozlovsky arrived in Ingushetia on the eve of the protests that take place in the capital of the republic after signing an agreement on the border with Chechnya. The unknown person knocked on the room of the Kozlovsky hotel and said that one of the organizers of the rallies came to the hotel and wants to personally talk with him, after which he led the researcher to the car parked on the street.

“They demanded to turn off and give the phone and searched when the car was still standing. Of course, there was a little hope that these were just such nervous local opposition, but, in general, I quickly understood what everything was going on, ”said Kozlovsky“ New ”.

The man suggested that the Amnesty employee get into the car, after which two more people in masks were hooked on him, one of whom hit Kozlovsky in the face. After that, the human rights activist was taken outside the city.

“On the way, they asked me who I was, why came, with whom I met, and so on. The abductors called the employees of the Center for Combating Extremism (CPE) of Ingushetia, but they did not show me any documents, and in general it was like anything, but not to detain, ”Kozlovsky recalls.

Unknown people dropped out a human rights activist in the field, forced to undress naked, threatening to shoot him if he tries to escape, and demanded that he name the names of his contacts in Ingushetia.

“We shot photos and videos, threatened them to publish, rape, etc. They demanded to agree to work on the CPE - I refused. They beat, broke the rib, a couple of times they put a gun to the back of the head, ”says Kozlovsky.

The kidnappers staged a staging of the execution, but realizing that it would not be possible to get information from Kozlovsky, they invited him to “conclude an agreement”: let him go under guarantees not to talk about what happened. “At first I refused, saying that we are not in equal position in order to negotiate anything, and my duty is to tell the truth about what is happening in the republic. After another staging of the execution and the threat of killing my children, I had to agree to the “contract,” says Kozlovsky.

After that, the abductors put him in the car, took him to North Ossetia and landed at the Vladikavkaz airport, having previously taken the phone and video camera. On October 7, the researcher of Amnesty International was able to return to Moscow and filed an application to the Investigative Committee.

According to Novaya Gazeta, Denis Krivosheev, Deputy Regional Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia of Amnesty International, representatives of the organization have already discussed what happened to the head of the Human Rights Council Mikhail Fedotov, the apparatus of the Commissioner for Human Rights in Russia Tatyana Moskalkova and the Ombudsman Dzhambulant Ozdova, who is He promised to control the course of the investigation of the case. “At the moment, we have no direct answers from the departments, but the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ingushetia commented on the situation publicly, denying all involvement,” says Krivosheev.

The situation with Kozlovsky was also commented by the head of Ingushetia Yunus-Bek Evkurov: he doubted the reliability of the words of the Amnesty employee about the circumstances of the abduction and admitted that this could be a provocation. “Of course, [the kidnappers] introduced themselves as security authorities, police officers, but all threads are supposedly lead to the leadership of the republic, to the authorities. And not a word that these can be provocations of different sides. Since he arrived [to the republic], it was definitely not by himself, but phoned someone, agreed, and he was allegedly taken out and beaten. And he said only a week later. "

Krivosheev explains that the situation was not publicized on the same day exclusively for security reasons. “Naturally, as soon as this happened, we connected all our internal security services and followed their advice: first to make sure that Oleg and his family are safe - and only after that to publicly voice what happened.”

After the incident, Oleg Kozlovsky left Russia with his family. “It's not about the fact that he is leaving forever. He remains our employee in Russia, it is just at the moment it is not yet clear what threatens him. And the threats were the most serious. We cannot just dismiss them, ”adds Krivosheev.

It was already
As Oleg Orlov stole in 2007. "The eldest of them said to bring us one at a time and eliminate with a silencer." The story of a human rights activist, who is very similar to the abduction of Oleg Kozlovsky

context

Who are the "Ashniki"

Countering extremes of extremism exist in all corners of the country. But if in other regions “Ashniki” are engaged in the search for “extremism” in social networks and at opposition rallies, then in the Caucasus the work of this unit is different specifics. This is a special unit in the system of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, whose employees (with the silent consent of other special services) are actually given the right to beat, torture and humiliate people.

There is every reason to believe that for a number of abductions and hopeless executions in the Caucasus are employees of this particular department. All this here is called "prevention of terrorism." The work of the “CEPEESHRI” strictly protects the law on operational-search activity-their actions are always hidden under the heading “secret”. Therefore, it is almost impossible to hold the department employees liable for illegal actions.

Over the past 15 years, dozens of people have suffered from illegal actions of the EE Center ( New ”told about this ). The victims turned to human rights activists, tried to demand an investigation - everything is useless. In the summer of 2016, Magomed Daliev, who was suspected of robbing the bank, died in the Central Bank building, could not stand the torture. As it became known later, the same employees who “interrogated” Dalieva, brutally and methodically beat his wife with a sea, trying to knock out the information they needed from her.

In December 2016, the head of the Center for E, Timur Khamkhoev and his six accomplices were arrested. They were presented with a whole bouquet of criminal articles from robbery and falsification of the diploma of education - until the exceeding official authority (translated into ordinary language, and means the use of torture) and murder. In the case, in addition to the Daliev spouses, there were other victims. The court took place in Nalchik’s military garrison in neighboring Kabardino-Balkaria. None of the security forces pleaded guilty.

Timura Khamkhoeva was sentenced to 7 years in prison in a general regime colony, his deputy Sergei Handogin - to 3 years conditionally, operatives Alikhan Bekov - by 10 years of strict regime, operative Andrei Beznosyuk - to 6 years of general regime, operatives ISU Aspiev - by 5.5 years of general regime. Head of the Sunzhensky District Department of Internal Affairs of Magomed Goserov - to 3 years in general regime, the FSB operative Mustafa Tsoroev - to 5 years in general regime. The convicts did not agree with the sentence and appealed. The appeal is now being considered in the Rostov Military Court.

It is noteworthy that after the arrest of Khamkhoev and his accomplices, complaints from people who suffered from torture from the CPE employees continue to come to human rights organizations. A striking example of this is the case of Abdul-Malik Albagachiev. The young man was detained in February 2017 on suspicion of relations with members of the Islamic State prohibited in Russia. After inhuman torture in the CPE, he spent a month and a half in the republican hospital and barely survived. Nobody has been brought to criminal liability so far.