Zurab Tsechoev associates search in his house with rally in Nazran

The employee of the human rights organization "MASHR" Zurab Tsechoev is convinced that the pretext for the search of his house in the village of Troitskaya, Sunzha District of Ingushetia, was in his participation in the protest rally in Nazran dedicated to the disappearance of Ilez Gorchkhanov.

On March 24, the following day after the rally, policemen of the Sunzha ROVD (District Interior Division) conducted a search in the house of the employee of the human rights organization "MASHR" Zurab Tsechoev located in the village of Troitskaya.

"I was present at the rally," Zurab Tsechoev told the "Caucasian Knot" and noted that "there were so many people there from different intelligence services, who were filming all that."

The fact that policemen came to Tsechoevs' house and wanted to conduct a search was reported to the human rights activist by his wife Sonya. "She called me and handed the phone over to the senior officer of the group," said Zurab Tsechoev. "He introduced himself and said he wanted to conduct a search."

Zurab told the policeman that nobody had the right to conduct a search in his house without a court warrant; according to his story, he received an answer that "in special cases, a search and a personal examination can be conducted without a warrant." The policeman refused to give further explanations.

According to Sonya Tsechoeva, the search lasted for about forty minutes. All the time she insisted that policemen showed her the search warrant or at least explained the reasons for the search. "They showed nothing," the woman continued. "One of them said: 'If we wait for the warrant, it'll take two or three days, while this sort of search is called an emergency'."

She added that the policemen behaved politely. After searching all the five rooms of the house and finding nothing suspicious, they compiled, according to the hostess, a protocol, which was signed by two women-neighbours of the Tsechoevs. Before leaving they asked to tell Zurab Tsechoev that he should come to the ROVD.

The on duty unit of the Sunzha ROVD of Ingushetia refused to comment to the "Caucasian Knot" on the fact of the search of the house of Zurab Tsechoev, referring to the absence of the persons authorized to give such comments.