Lukin: extrajudicial executions in Northern Caucasus should not become routine

A person's involvement in illegal armed formations (IAFs) should be proved only in the court, while the practice of killing suspects without trial in Northern Caucasus must be stopped. This was stated by Vladimir Lukin, Russian Ombudsman, who presented his 2010 report to the State Duma.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the recently published report of the Amnesty International report for 2011 also said about the practice of extrajudicial executions in Northern Caucasus.

"A man goes out and soon calls home, saying that he was detained by police; and in a day or so he is found assassinated, with firearms nearby, somewhere in the woods; and at the same time law enforcers report about liquidation of another militant," said the Ombudsman, quoting a typical complaint out of many sent to his office.

"The criminal case against this citizen about his participation in illegal armed formations (IAFs) is almost immediately stopped because of the defendant's death; and neither relatives nor other persons, except for law enforcers, can see the real materials of the case," added Vladimir Lukin.

The right and duty of law enforcers - to liquidate a bandit, who is rendering armed resistance, in case it is impossible to detain him, - cannot be questioned, he said.

"It is important that this emergency measure should not become a routine, allowing a simplified procedure, that is, without inquiry and trial, as if solving crimes. I emphasize the words 'as if'. In such cases the reporting figures of law enforcers look better; another crime of this sort is registered as solved without any efforts and costs to prove the guilt," said the Ombudsman.

Only the court should prove whether the man was an IAF member, believes Mr Lukin.

"Surely we'll face more complex proceedings; however, it should be a justifiable safeguard against possible abuse. We are talking here about the rule of law and fight against lawlessness; here, we apparently, should never give up," the "Interfax" quotes Vladimir Lukin as saying.