Remains of two young men kidnapped by militaries eight years ago found in Chechnya

Remains of two residents of Chechnya captured by Russian militaries in the course of "zachistka" (cleanup operation) in spring 2002 were found in the Shali District. The Prosecutor's Office of Chechnya has restarted the criminal case, which was suspended several years ago because of non-establishment of the persons involved in this crime.

"On April 22, near Avtury village, Shali District, in a small valley, remains of two persons were found with bullet traces in their skulls. Both are already identified. By the remaining fragments of clothes and footwear Svetlana Mezhidova, a resident of Avtury recognized her son Said-Emin Mezhidov who was taken away by federal soldiers in an armoured troop-carrier during the so-called "zachistka" on May 14, 2002. The second casualty is Khanpash Takhiev, who was taken away together with Mezhidov," the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was informed by a source in law enforcement bodies of the republic.

"Both casualties' skulls have bullet traces, indicating that both young men were exposed to extrajudicial execution," said the source.

He has also noted also that the investigation possesses data that the young men kidnapped in 2002 were taken away to the disposition of a Russian military subdivision deployed in the suburb of Avtury.

The administration of the village explained that the young men were taken away to the filtration camp organized near Avtury. The head of the administration and his deputy Movadi Persiev repeatedly addressed the command of the camp, and militaries promised them to give the detainees out. A couple of days later, at another attempt to learn anything about the fate of the young men, militaries said that Mezhidov and Takhiev were not there: allegedly, they were taken away by other militaries, whom they do not know. 

Mezhidov's mother, a Russian by nationality, a teacher of the local school, for eight years tried to learn anything in all instances about the fate of her son. She also addressed the State Office of Public Prosecutor of Russia and the European Court of Human Rights.

According to official data, today in Chechnya more than five thousand persons are considered as missing. Informal sources assert that the real figure is several times higher.