14:37, 17 April 2014

Chechnya reopens inquiry into kidnapping of Gudermes resident in 2002

The Prosecutor's Office of Chechnya has initiated the resumption of the criminal case dealing with the kidnapping and subsequent disappearance of Askhab Soltagiraev, a resident of Chechnya, who was kidnapped by unidentified power agents in spring 2002, said the Office. Soltagiraev's relatives believe that law enforcement bodies were involved in his kidnapping.

Askhab Soltagiraev was kidnapped at night on April 12, 2002, from his home by armed men; some of them were in masks. Without presenting any charges, they took Soltagiraev away to some unknown place. His further fate remains unknown.

As noted by a source from the Chechen Prosecutor's Office, Soltagiraev's criminal case was repeatedly suspended in 2008 and 2009. "The District Prosecutor's Office pointed out to investigators that the case was run badly and had numerous omissions at the stage of preliminary investigation, but all these remarks were ignored. Now the investigation of the case is under the control of the Prosecutor's Office of the Republic," said the source.

Author: Muslim Ibragimov, Alexander Ivanov

Source: CK correspondents