Relatives of Akhmetgiri Tsechoev, killed in special operation, deny his links with militants

Relatives and friends of Akhmetgiri Tsechoev, who perished in Malgobek at night on March 4 during a special operation, are categorically denying his association with militants. They do not believe that the retired lieutenant colonel, whose two brothers and a son are also professional militaries, was a militant, and talk about an extra-judicial execution.

However, according to local law enforcers, the two men, who perished in a special operation conducted on the eve of presidential election, were preparing a terror act. The police tried to stop their car, but received automatic fire from inside the car in response. As a result of a skirmish, an improvised explosive device (IED) went off in the car. After the blast the bodies of Adam Tsyzdoev, born in 1979, who was on the search list on suspicion of attacking law enforcers, and Akhmetgiri Tsechoev, 56, a resident of the village of Psedakh.

According to information from the website of the MIA of Ingushetia, Akhmetgiri Tsechoev was linked with militants. However, his brother – Colonel Magomed-Girei Tsechoev – categorically denies this statement.

"They want to make a terrorist out of my brother; however, it is an unprecedented lie – I state it with my full responsibility. Akhmetgiri was an officer, a retired lieutenant colonel; he worked as a military commissar and has excellent service record. Power agents killed an absolutely peaceful man, who had nothing to do with extremists. Now, they try to picture him as a terrorist in order to escape responsibility," Magomed-Girei Tsechoev said in his interview to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

According to Zurab Tsechoev, another Akhmetgiri's relative, the assassinated retired military worked as a private taxi driver and could become a victim of an extrajudicial execution.

According to his story, having retired, Akhmetgiri Tsechoev was engaged in his household and lived a peaceful life: "He had a large garden. The today's accusations of him of involvement in extremism look unrealistic. He was not young, almost 56 years old; he came from a family of servicemen. If he had had such beliefs, he would have never sent his son to a military school. They shelled his car and gave him no chance. Maybe he gave a list to someone; but should people be shot dead for it? I believe that it was an extrajudicial execution."

The fact that Akhmetgiri Tsechoev was groundlessly accused was also confirmed by Magomed Mutsolgov, the leader of the Ingush human rights organization "Mashr", where seven years ago Tsechoev was one of the founders.

According to Mr Mutsolgov's open letter published on the blog of the "Caucasian Knot", Akhmetgiri Tsechoev was a good and decent man. In early 2007, due to the pressure from the authorities, he quitted the founders of the organization.

So far, the "Caucasian Knot" has no comments of the officials from law enforcement and security bodies of Ingushetia on the above statements of the deceased Tsechoev's relatives and friends.