Maksharip Aushev posthumously awarded for human rights activities

In the context of the World Day of Human Rights, marked today, the US State Department has rewarded Maksharip Aushev from Ingushetia, assassinated in October 2009, among the two, in their opinion, outstanding activists of the human rights movement.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on October 25, in the Federal Highway "Kavkaz" Maksharip's car was shelled by unknown persons from a passing-by car. The oppositionist died in situ. His cousin, who was with him in the car, was taken to one of the hospitals of the Chegem District with heavy wounds, where she died on December 6. Aushev was a member of the expert's council for Northern Caucasus at the Ombudsman of the Russian Federation. He was repeatedly threatened; several times they tried to kidnap him.

The decision of the Department of State refers to the annual Human Rights Defenders Award.

"In the fatally dangerous situation, existing for journalists and human rights activists, Maksharip Aushev, editor of the independent website "Ingushetia.Org", boldly continued revealing kidnappings, facts of torture and murders, and other violations of human rights in the Russian Northern Caucasus, even after the previous owner of the website was killed in 2008," runs the statement of the Department of State, as quoted by Radio Liberty.