Local resident kidnapped and beaten in Chechnya, rights defenders say

According to eyewitnesses, on June 10 in Chechnya, on a road in the Kurchaloy District, unidentified armed persons kidnapped Aslambek Shataev, 30, a resident of Kurchaloy. Later, his relatives managed to find him in one of police stations. Now the man is at home, but, according to his relatives, he was severely beaten.

The witnesses of the incident – the drivers and passengers of the passing by cars – said that it took place at about 10:00 p.m. between the villages of Tsotsin-Yurt and Geldagan, when Shataev was driving his VAZ-2112 car in direction of Geldagan from Tsotsin-Yurt. Before reaching the village, his car was overtaken by another one with three armed men inside.

One of them pointed his firearm at Shataev and demanded to stop. After that, the unknown assailants beat Shataev and forced him into the trunk of his car. The hijacked car was towed towards Geldagan.

On June 11, Shataev's relatives managed to find him in the police station of the village of Yalkhoi-Mokhk, Kurchaloy District; and on that very day he was released. According to their story, Shataev was severely beaten; he had a brain concussion and numerous bruises. His relatives refuse to communicate with anyone on this subject, the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" writes.

According to his fellow-villagers, Shataev had no links with criminal structures; they have no idea of what could be the reason of his abduction and beating.