European MPs condemn kidnapping of Islam Umarpashaev in Chechnya

Heidi Hautala, chair of the human rights committee of the European Parliament, who is a member of the delegation of the European MPs who met on September 2 Ingush human rights activists, has criticized the kidnapping and torture of Islam Umarpashaev and called the Russian authorities not to press him in the context of Umarpashaev's readiness to help in establishing his kidnappers.

Let us remind you that Islam Umarpashaev was kidnapped in Chechnya on December 11, 2009, from his own house by unknown armed people in camouflage. For almost four months after his disappearance, Russian officials kept stating that they "were not able" to establish his whereabouts.

Relatives of the young man addressed for help the prosecutor's office and in inter-regional committee against torture, whose experts sent an urgent complaint in the interests of the kidnapped person to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), which awarded a priority status to the case of Islam Umarpashaev's kidnapping. On April 8, 2010, Islam Umarpashaev was released.

Islam Umarpashaev took personal part in the meeting of European MPs with human rights defenders, organized in the Nazran office of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial".