Eight Chechen residents kidnapped in early December, HRC "Memorial" reports

In early December 2014, eight residents of the Chechen Republic disappeared or were kidnapped. This was reported by the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial".

On December 7, Israpil Tsamaligov, a resident of the village of Kulary of the Grozny (rural) District, born 1984, was kidnapped.

In the morning, when Israpil was at home, his neighbour called him and told him that two men said they urgently needed him. Israpil went outside. He returned after a while and told his wife that the visitors introduced themselves as staff members of the Grozny District OVD (Interior Division) and that they asked him to come with them to the OVD.

According to the human rights defenders, Israpil never reached the OVD. Since that time, the whereabouts of Israpil Tsamaligov is unknown.

His relatives said that several days prior to the kidnapping of Israpil, an unknown man, who introduced himself as Arthur, a law enforcer, visited the village and asked the residents about Israpil.

Several years ago, Israpil Tsamaligov studied theology in Syria. For that reason, he was summoned to the law enforcement departments and questioned there.

On December 6, Lechi Umarov, born in 1991, was kidnapped under similar circumstances from his house in the village of Rubezhnoe of the Naur District. He studied theology in the city of Khasavyurt in Dagestan.

On the day prior to the kidnapping of Lechi Umarov, his cousin Zambek Yakuev, born in 1983, a resident of the village of Rubezhnoe, disappeared. Armed men took him away with them to some unknown destination. Until present, there is no information about him.

Besides, in early December, five residents of the village of Rubezhnoe disappeared, including Abdulla Aziev, Kazbek Kerimov, and three Aliev brothers.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.