Grozny residents tell about unknown persons' "hunting" for girls without headscarves

On June 5, the capital of Chechnya saw several incidents, when unidentified persons in camouflage and masks were shooting paintballs from passing cars at the girls who were in the streets without headscarves. Eyewitnesses say that one of the attacked girls was even hospitalized with a heavy trauma.

"One such accident took place near the shopping centre "Berkat", and one or two more - in the avenue in central Grozny. In all the cases the figurants are some strangers in military uniform and masks, who opened paintball fire from passing cars on girls and women without headscarves. I can't give particular names or details, but these incidents really took place," an activist of a local NGO, who preferred to remain anonymous, said on this occasion to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

A woman from Grozny named Markha told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that she saw how one of the attacked girls, shocked with the incident, tried to grasp the car, from which she was shelled, but the car disappeared at high speed.

Law enforcement bodies of the republic refrained from comments and stated that they received no appeals or applications to this end.

Let us note here that in recent years the leadership of Chechnya has been launching an active campaign towards, as they say, revival of traditions and customs of the Chechen people. Women working in official bodies were forbidden to come to work without headscarves. Then, this innovation was expanded on female students and schoolgirls.

In particular, in his interview to TV channel "Grozny" (TV program "Interview with the President" at 22.40) on the 3rd of July 2010, Ramzan Kadyrov said the following (in Chechen language, translation of the HRC "Memorial", "Memorial" possesses the full audio record of the interview):

Reporter: "There were incidents in the city when girls without headscarves where shelled with paint. There were rumours that it was done with your permission..."

Ramzan Kadyrov: "Even if it was with my permission, I shouldn't still be shy. I dealt with this issue. Who was shot with paint? A naked woman, who was swallowing some drugs. In fact, it turned out that those paint-shot girls had been warned several times. After the incident this girl should have just disappeared from the earth, locked up at home and never gone out, because she had behaved so improperly that it had happened with her. She should be ashamed to talk about it at home. How should she look into her brother's eyes? "I was half-naked, my stomach was seen, the length of my skirt could be measured in fingers and my T-shirt was translucent..." But I haven't seen those who shot with paint. I was told that they did it."

Reporter: "With your permission?"

Kadyrov: "How should I allow shooting people with paint?"

Reporter: "And you do not know who does it, do you?"

Kadyrov: "I don't know, but when I find them - I'll thank them!"

You can see the video on the subject (in English) on Youtube.com: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oObQVmU99Hc