Magomed Mutsolgov: murder case of Maksharip Aushev shot dead two years ago is protracted

Today, two years since the murder of Maksharip Aushev, the Ingush human rights activist, passed. So far, the investigation failed to find the assassinators.

In October 2010 the investigation was suspended due to the impossibility to identify persons to be brought in court as defendants. "The Aushev's relatives appealed to the Russian President and to the General Prosecutor of the Russian Federation, and on September 2 the Main Directorate of the Russian Investigatory Committee (IC) of the South- and the North-Caucasian Federal Districts renewed the investigation into the criminal case of the assassination of the Ingush human rights activist.

Today, Magomed Mutsolgov, the leader of the human rights organization "MASHR", wrote in his blog at the "Caucasian Knot" website that "the man, who sought to enforce the law and respect to his nation, was killed two years ago, and the criminal investigation into his assassination faded away".

"Two years ago, Maksharip Aushev, the man who managed to release his kidnapped son and nephew, the man who lost his business, since he could not surrender to lawlessness in the republic, was assassinated. He led the protests of the republic's population, and he actually became the leader of the so-called opposition," writes Magomed Mutsolgov.

He emphasizes that by analyzing the course of criminal investigations into the assassinations of journalists, human rights activists, oppositionists and civic leaders, he comes to the conclusion that "the lack of real results of the investigation and punishment of assassinators and their clients reassures of permissiveness and impunity to murderers and provokes them to new crimes".

Magomed Khazbiev, the Ingush oppositionist, also notes that, during two years, the investigation revealed nothing. On October 7, he appealed to the Russian IC requesting to conduct an inspection against Yunus-Bek Evkurov, the leader of Ingushetia, in the course of the investigation into Maksharip Aushev's assassination. According to Magomed Khazbiev, in case of idleness of the investigators, he would complain to higher authorities, up to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), the Radio Station "Echo Moskvy" reports.

Representatives of the Ingush authorities take easy this requirement. "If someone's testimonies, including those of the leader of the republic, will help solve this crime, then, please, let them question," stated Akhmed Kotiev, Secretary of National Security Council of Ingushetia, on October 8. He added that, being the head of the Nazran GOVD (City Interior Division), he himself gave testimony in case on the assassination of Maksharip Aushev as a witness, the newspaper "Kommersant" reports.

The newspaper reminds that the investigators of Kabardino-Balkaria considered various versions of the Aushev's assassination, including the murder on the grounds of personal hostile relations; however, the version, related to his oppositional activities, was treated as primary. In this case, the investigation proceeded from the fact that the traces of the murder to be found in Ingushetia, since no one knew Aushev in Kabardino-Balkaria, his activities did not affect this republic, and the assassination was committed here to deflect suspicion from the guilty persons.

Earlier, Magomed-Hadji Aushev, the father of Maksharip Aushev, wrote that he knew who murdered his son. The man directly named people, including top-ranking officials from the law enforcement agencies, who, according to him, were involved in the assassination of his son. Immediately after this statement, the Ingush authorities initiated an inspection, declared Kaloi Akhilgov, then incumbent Press Secretary of President of Ingushetia. However, the results of the inspection are unavailable.