ECtHR: Russian authorities failed to properly investigate disappearance of Dagestani Shafiev

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has found no proofs of involvement of power agents in Sirazhudin Shafiev's kidnapping in September 2009. However, the decision of the ECtHR states the guilt of Russian authorities of a failure to properly investigate the case.

On September 8, 2009, in the city of Derbent, armed men dressed in uniform blocked the car of Sirazhudin Shafiev, a resident of Dagestan, born in 1971, dragged him out, hit a truncheon against his head, pushed him into their car in the eyes of passers-by and drove away. On the same day, Shafiev's relatives informed the authorities about the committed crime; and residents of Derbent held a rallydemanding to release the detainee.

The complaint to ECtHRwas lodged by Khadizhat Shafieva, the wife of the missing person. The applicant was represented before the ECtHR by lawyers of the HRC "Memorial"and the European Human Rights Advocacy Centre.

According to the decision of the ECtHR dated May 3, the Russian authorities had violated Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) by failing to effectively investigate the disappearance of Shafiev; therefore Russia shall pay 30,000 euros to Khadizhat Shafieva as moral compensation and the failure to act in response to the crime, says the message of the HRC "Memorial".