Two residents of Ingushetia detained in North Ossetia

On May 28 in Vladikavkaz, law enforcers detained two residents of Ingushetia - Anzor Chaniev and Idris Yandiev. Their relatives are sure that the detention was illegal and state that at the militia the young men were exposed to violence, runs the statement of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial".

Yesterday, on May 31, Anzor Chaniev's sister Lida brought her written applications to the HRC "Memorial" and other human rights organizations. The young woman writes that on May 28 Anzor Chaniev, born in 1984, and his cousin Idris Yandiev, born in 1984, went to the capital of North Ossetia to buy military camouflage uniform. Anzor is a contract serviceman of the regiment of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation deployed in Nazran. In Vladikavkaz he, according to his sister, wanted to buy some cheaper uniform.

"In the afternoon, in Kirova Street, Chaniev and Yandiev were stopped by militiamen for check of documents. Young men presented their passports. After that, militiamen seized them, put black bags over their heads and began beating them in the eyes at numerous witnesses," runs the statement of the HRC "Memorial". "Then, Yandiev and Chaniev were brought to a militia station, where several witnesses of the detention were also invited. Young men were also beaten at the militia station. After a while, the young men were transported to the building of the investigatory committee under the prosecutor's office of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, located in Pushkinskaya Street. During the interrogation there, as Lida Chanievа asserts, her brother and Idris Yandiev were beaten and tortured."

The young woman also told human rights activists that at night of May 29, at about 3:00 a.m., the on duty inspector telephoned Anzor Chaniev's mother and said that Anzor and Idris had been detained and suspected of committing a crime; which one - it was not specified.

"On that very day the detainees were placed to the investigatory insulator (the so-called SIZO) in Kosta Avenue. Under preliminary information, Chaniev and Yandiev are accused of illegal firearm bearing. Relatives have no details. So far, they have not managed to hire an advocate. Some of the lawyers refuse to take this case, others ask too much," human rights activists report.

In her application, Lida Chanievа asks to defend Chaniev's and Yandiev's rights, protect them from torture and beatings and "bring the persons guilty of excess of service powers to responsibility."

So far, the "Caucasian Knot" has no comments from law enforcement bodies of North Ossetia as to the circumstances and reasons of Chaniev's and Yandiev's detention.