Wife of figurant in Vladikavkaz terror act case states her husband's innocence on Internet

The video appeal to public of Pyatimat Khashagulgova, wife of Issa Khashagulgov, a resident of Ingushetia, kept at the SIZO (pre-trial prison) Lefortovo, appeared on the website youtube.com at night on March 16.

In the video, she states that her husband was not involved in the terror act in Vladikavkaz and speaks about illegal actions of power agents against her family.

Pyatimat says that she decided to record the video since she had exhausted all legal means to fight for the rights of her husband. "I am convinced that not only in Ingushetia, but also in Moscow, the occurring events have nothing to do with the law," says Pyatimat in her appeal.

Then, she told about the recent events around her family and teip (clan). "On September 25, 2010, they kidnapped my husband," said Pyatimat.

According to her story, during the last ten years her husband and his brothers were engaged in construction business. "During the time of the late Minister of Construction of Ingushetia Amerkhanov, a fundraising action was undertaken to supposedly lend money to the incumbent head of the republic Evkurov. Issa's brothers gave 63.5 million roubles. Shortly thereafter Amerkhanov was killed. Later, part of the debt was repaid by the family of the late Amerkhanov. Then, terrible events started happening. Two months before abduction of my husband, an attempt was made to kidnap his brother, Yakub Khashagulgov. Then, pressing on the whole family and the whole teip started," said the woman.

According to her story, even today young people from the involved teips are kidnapped, and put on the search list. Pyatimat's husband is kept in SIZO for 6 months already. "His custody has been extended many times, because investigators are doing nothing; they have nothing to present. They try to force him to confess of at least some crime," she said.

Advocates are also intimidated, said Pyatimat. "They didn't admit me and journalists to the latest session, where they ruled his custody extension," said Pyatimat in her appeal.

Smolyakov, A. D., Senior Investigator of the Investigatory Department of the Russian FSB, refrained from comments to the press and offered to write requests to the FSB. The "Caucasian Knot" has sent such requests - no answers. They say on the phone: "Wait."

Advocates of Issa Khashagulgov give no comments, since they gave non-disclosure subscription, illegal in their mind. However, one of the family's lawyers, Musa Pliev, said that the defence is doing everything necessary in this situation to defend Khashagulgov.

Begkham Atigov, Acting Secretary of the Security Council of the Republic of Ingushetia, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that he could tell nothing new on the case; however, if something becomes clear, he will surely get in touch with the "Caucasian Knot". With regard to the Pyatimat's online appeal, Atigov did not watch it and cannot tell whether the facts are true.

Pyatimat Khashagulgova told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that she had some doubts before releasing her video appeal on the Internet. "Of course, having watched it, my family got very frightened for me. My husband is under inquiry; they try to accuse him of terrible crimes. His defence is constrained in actions because of the subscriptions; and what do I have to do? Only openness and transparency can help here. After all, should our story had not been so widely covered on the Internet, maybe I shouldn't have been alive, and Issa would have been sentenced for long."