SC of Chechnya to reconsider hundred prisoners' criminal cases

Under the order of the head of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov, the Supreme Court (SC) of the Republic will reconsider the criminal verdicts against a group of convicts serving their terms in the prison of "Chernokozovo", located in northern Chechnya. Mr Kadyrov made the decision after visiting the prison a few weeks ago.

In parallel with revision of criminal cases against several dozens of prisoners, Kadyrov ordered to render help to their families. The sitting on this topic with participation of ministers, heads of law enforcement bodies and heads of municipalities took place on February 8 in Grozny and was shown on local television.

The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was informed by the law enforcement bodies of the republic that the SC was instructed to check criminal cases initiated against nearly one hundred prisoners, kept in "Chernokozovo". Among these prisoners, there are persons serving their terms for committing various crimes, ranging from participation in IAFs and ending with domestic crimes.

"The point is about a thorough check, not about mass release of all those who had complained to the head of the republic of unfair sentences. Decisions will be made on case-by-case basis," said the SC's spokesman.

According to the head of one of Chechen NGOs, in the early years of the counterterrorist operation, hundreds of local residents were unjustly convicted.

"People were caught in streets and taken away during the so-called 'zachistkas' (cleansings); then, by torture and beatings 'confessions' were knocked out of them, and they were convicted. It's just enough to remind that in Moscow Chechens were stopped in the streets and openly asked under which article they want to get behind bars - for drugs or arms dealing?" said the source.

He noted that in place of republic's authorities he would have launched a 100-percent revision of all the criminal cases brought against citizens of the republic since autumn of 1999. "I think that pretty plenty of violations would have come to light; and dozens and hundreds of inmates would have regained freedom," said the NGO leader.

Let us note here that the head of Chechnya, when touching on the issue of convicts at the sitting on February 8, gave an example of one of the convicts. The poor guy complained to him that he had been sentenced to 17 years in prison just for the fact that at the moment of the murder he was unlucky to be near the scene of the crime.

Mr Kadyrov said that if he had been in place of the prisoner, then he would have found a way to escape from the prison, get firearms and kill the judge who had passed such an unjust verdict. His words caused a rather broad resonance in the republic; although neither power agents nor public figures dared to speak out openly.