Relatives of Ingush missing persons fear for their lives

Power agents have to do with kidnapping in Ingushetia of Umalat Bersanov and Akroman Ugurchiev, residents of Sleptsovsk, their relatives assert. They fear for the fate and health of the missing men. Law enforcers say that a check is underway on the fact of the disappearance of Bersanov and Ugurchiev.

Salman Ugurchiev, who had earlier claimed kidnapping of his son Akroman Ugurchiev, has addressed his open letter to the Council of Europe. The man asks to help him in search of his son.

The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was informed by Bashir Bersanov, Umalat Bersanov's father, who referred to the witnesses, that on August 23 at about 6:00 p.m. his 33-year-old son was on his way home from work in his car. Akroman Ugurchiev, whom Umalat wanted to sell his car on credit, was with him.

"My son arrived at the gate of his house and got out of his car along with Ugurchiev; suddenly out of nowhere a white Gazel van drove up to them." Two men dressed in blue jeans and black T-shirts jumped out of the van.

One of them punched Ugurchiev, who immediately fell to the ground," said Bashir Bersanov.

His son lost his head and threw himself down too. They hit his body with something several times; then, they dragged Bersanov and bleeding Ugurchiev into the Gazel and drove to some unknown place. I know nothing about their whereabouts," the father finished his story.

He is sure that his son had never been a member of any illegal formations and has no links with militants. "This is completely ruled out. My son has led a decent life. He has a wife and three sons," - said Bersanov-senior.

According to his story, their relatives were shocked by what happened. "We don't know who had kidnapped our children, but we assume that this was the work of power agents, who have become more active recently. We fear that our children will be tortured and forced to confess of other's crimes.

Power agents may make innocent people guilty," Bashir Bersanov has concluded.