The European court demanded that the authorities of the Russian Federation should verify the information on the location of a kidnapped resident of Chechnya

The European Court of Human Rights for the first time in its practice concerning Northern Caucasus demanded from the Russian Federation to take urgent and concrete measures to secure safety of Tamerlan Suleimanov kidnapped in Grozny this May.

The kidnapping which took place on May, 9, in Grozny was reported by eye-witnesses. According to them, in the afternoon a group of armed people wearing black military uniforms drove up to “Mustang” auto repair station, beat one of its workers up to the loss of consciousness, threw him into their car and left. It was found out later that on May, 7, Tamerlan Suleimanov was also captured by personnel of unidentified power ministries who tortured him making him confess to preparation of an act of terror. However, the kidnapped man was released then.

On May, 24, “Memorial” Human Rights Center submitted a complaint to the European Court of Human Rights on behalf of the kidnapped man’s father and a request of application of Rule 39 of the Regulations of the Court according to which the Court can oblige the respondent state to take urgent and concrete measures. 

On July, 26, taking into consideration an additional information HRC “Memorial” submitted one more request of application of Rule 39. According to the new data, Suleimanov is supposedly being kept in a “base” subordinate to Kurchaloy district Department of Interior Affairs of Chechnya, in the settlement of Yalkhoy-Mohk, a message received by the “Caucasian Knot” editorial board from HRC “Memorial” runs.

After the request of July, 26, the European Court requested for a comment from the Government of the Russian Federation on the probability of Suleimanov’s being in the “base” in the settlement of Yalkhoy-Mohk and having got no comprehensive reply applied Rule 39. In particular, the court prescribed to ensure a compete access for the investigative bodies of Chechnya to all the premises of the “base”.

The Court also pointed out the necessity of taking measures to establish whether Suleimanov was kept (or had been kept before) in that place. The Government of the Russian Federation must submit a complete documentation on fulfillment of this commission till August, 2, the human rights activists report.