Residents of Chechnya to hold protest against militia lawlessness

A protest rally of local residents is planned for November 20 in the district centre of Achkhoi-Martan in Chechnya; they want to demand from Russian authorities to stop the terror practiced by law enforcement bodies.

The reason for the protest action was in illegal actions by servicemen of the 7th company of the post-and-patrol militia regiment No. 2 of the Chechen Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), which is deployed in the settlement. Residents of the district centre are accusing militiamen of committing a series of crimes, including kidnappings and a rape of a woman.

Let us remind you that on November 9, Hadjimurat Akhtokhanov, 24, a resident of Achkhoi-Martan, was kidnapped in the Federal Highway "Kavkaz". His relatives suspect servicemen of the above MIA unit of his kidnapping. In late September, the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" spread information that during a special operation in the Achkhoi-Martan District power agents kidnapped seven persons and announced that they were involved in illegal armed formations (IAFs).

Kidnappings in the district were also reported by Ruslan Kutaev, coordinator of the All-Russian Public Movement "Russia, Forward!" for the NCFD and a well-known Chechen human rights activist, who was about to become a victim of kidnapping on November 12 himself.

Mr Kutaev has gathered data on many crimes committed in the district and told about them on air of Radios Liberty and "Echo Moskvy". According to his story, the suspects of raping a local woman were later detained; however, he believes that if not for the broad resonance of the case among the public, the criminals could have escaped punishment.

Residents of Urus-Martan suspect that the district authorities and power agents may try to prevent the protest action on November 20; they intend to address their letter to President of Russia Dmitri Medvedev asking him to protect them against militia's terror and tyranny of the authorities.

Ruslan Kutaev is one of the organizers of tomorrow's rally; however, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent failed to contact him.

So far, the "Caucasian Knot" has no comments from law enforcers on complaints of Urus-Martan residents against power agents.