FSB reports detention of one of "Imarat Kavkaz" leaders

In Northern Caucasus, on September 25, FSB officers detained one of the leaders of the Ingush branch of "Imarat Kavkaz" acting in Ingushetia, the PR centre of the FSB said today. According to the centre, the name of the detainee is Khashagulgov, Issa Lokhanovich.

Let us note here that on September 26 Magomed Mutsolgov, head of the human rights organization "Mashr", told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent about abduction by security forces on September 25 of a resident of Karabulak Issa Khashagulgov. His family turned for help to human rights defenders and Ombudsman in Ingushetia.

According to the FSB, Khashagulgov "is suspected of heading an illegal armed formation, as well as of illegal handling of firearms," the ITAR-TASS reports.

According to Mr Mutsolgov, Issa was detained, when he went for medicines for his sick children. Later the house of the Khashagulgov family was surrounded by power agents' cars and armoured vehicles; then, the household was searched. The search warrant was issued the Moscow Prosecutor's Office.

Mutsolgov has supposed that Issa's detention was retaliation to the Khashagulgovs for their legal activity. He said that when the Khashagulgovs' daughter was not admitted to school in her hijab by the principal, Issa's wife Pyatimat passed through all the legal instances, appealed to the prosecutor; and the schoolmistress, who had exceeded her authorities, was forced to apologize.

Pyatimat Khashagulgova told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that someone managed to film Issa's detention by the camera of his mobile phone; and it happened not far from their house. She also said that power agents had told her that her husband was detained in Vladikavkaz with ammunition in the luggage compartment of his car.

She also asserts that their family is "under pressure". "We were told: you shouldn't have raised the headscarf issue - you've provoked everything. But we just want the normal execution of the laws and defend our rights" the woman said.