Chechen residents wait for inquiry results of execution of civilians in Ingushetia

In the opinion of activists of Chechen NGOs and local residents, the absence of information about the inquiry into the circumstances of the murder on February 11 of several residents of the Achkhoy-Martan District of Chechnya, committed in the Sunzha District of Ingushetia, gives rise to suspicion that this crime may remain unpunished.

The circumstances of the tragedy on February 11, when in the vicinity of the Ingush village of Arshty Russian militaries killed at least four residents of Chechnya, who were engaged in gathering ramson, traditional for this season, are still unknown. People in the republic are rather sceptical to the statement of President of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov that the republic's leadership will do everything possible to find and punish the culprits.

"Already two weeks have expired from the moment of this monstrous, without any exaggeration, crime; however, we see no results of the inquiry, or even a hint that the process goes on. Any sane person understands that it's quite easy to establish not only the unit, which conducted this special operation, but even the names of all the figurants," an employee of a local NGO told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

In the opinion of Suleiman, a resident of the Achkhoy-Martan District, the district authorities are also guilty of this tragedy. "Assertions of Musa Dadaev (head of the district administration, - comment of the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent) that the population was warned about the special operation in the area of Chechen-Ingush border is a usual lie, aimed to make the perished people guilty. Nobody warned nobody; and no cordons or posts were deployed, which, as a rule, are put almost at every step, when such operations are conducted. I think that militaries did it on purpose, not to put militants on the alert," Suleiman is convinced.

According to his story, local residents are most indignant with the fact that the authorities and republic's leadership are hiding the circumstance that the murdered Achkhoy-Martan residents were tortured before death.

Earlier, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told at the MIA of Chechnya that Colonel Roman Edilov, Deputy Interior Minister, had personally visited the district and met the wounded resident of Achkhoy-Martan and relatives of the casualties.