Chechen residents detained for aiding and abetting militants released

23 local residents detained in the Vedeno District of Chechnya on suspicion of aiding and abetting members of the armed underground were released. This was told to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent by a representative of the power bodies of the region.

"The number of the detained local residents included a deputy principal of a school, an elderly woman, a clergyman and even a former member of illegal armed formations, who several years ago surrendered voluntarily and who was pardoned. It should be noted that some of them rendered assistance to militant deliberately, while others were simply intimidated," the source has explained.

"Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of our republic, has decided to give last chance to residents of the villages of the Vedeno District who rendered assistance to militants, and he also took into account the requests of the elders of the District. Explanatory conversations were held with the detained accomplices of militants, and on past Monday, February 18, they were sent home. All of them have been warned that in case if they repeatedly render assistance to members of illegal armed formations, they will have to be liable to the fullest extent of the law," the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told by the representative of the republic's power bodies.

It should be noted that the websites of the leader of Chechnya and of the Chechen government report not on detention of suspected accomplices of militants, but on their "identification" and "preventive conversations" with them.