ICPO: 120 kidnappings investigated in Chechnya

As reported today by Vladimir Markin, spokesman of the Russian Investigatory Committee under the Prosecutor's Office (ICPO), the special division on kidnappings of the ICPO's Department for the Chechen Republic is running over 120 criminal cases.

According to Mr Markin, this figure was announced today at the meeting of Alexander Bastrykin, acting chairman of the ICPO, with Thomas Hammarberg, Commissioner of the Council of Europe for Human Rights. "The CE Commissioner was informed that after the last meeting with him in January 2010, a special division for the cases of kidnappings committed in previous years was set up within the ICPO's Department for the Chechen Republic," said Vladimir Markin.

He added that on Mr Hammarberg's request, Mr Bastrykin ordered to pass over the criminal case about kidnapping of one of the natives of Chechnya for inquiry to the Chief Investigatory Department for the Southern and North-Caucasian Federal Districts (SFD and NCFD).

Alexander Bastrykin has also informed Thomas Hammarberg about the progress in the criminal investigation of the murders of lawyer Markelov, journalist Anna Politkovskaya and human rights defender Natalia Estemirova, the RIA "Novosti" reports.