Verdict in Aldiev's case to be bad lesson for militants who decide to surrender

The Supreme Court (SC) of the Russian Federation has upheld the verdict in the case against Khamzat Aldiev, despite the fact that the defendant left the ranks of militants, surrendered under guarantees of the Ingush leaders and was pardoned. The fate of Khamzat Aldiev is unlikely to be a convincing example for militants who want to "go out of the woods." This opinion was expressed by the human rights defenders interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on August 10, 2012, in the Achkhoi-Martan District, an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) was blown up and wounded five policemen, who had arrived from the Voronezh Region. Khamzat Aldiev was accused of committing the terror act. The Supreme Court (SC) of Chechnya sentenced Khamzat Aldiev to 13 years in prison. On February 26, 2015, the Supreme Court of Russia upheld this decision.

"Those persons who recruit young men to illegal armed formations (IAFs) will benefit from the example of Khamzat Aldiev," the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told by Magomed Mutsolgov, the Chairman of the Public Monitoring Commission (PMC) of Ingushetia, the leader of the human rights organization "Mashr".

According to him, the trial in the case against Khamzat Aldiev is a bright adverse advertising for all the adaptation commissions in Northern Caucasus.

Oleg Orlov, a member of the Board of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial", the head of the programme "Goryachie Tochki" (Hot Spots), expresses his indignation about the fact that after the young man was found not guilty, a week after the murder of Akhmed Kotiev, the Secretary of the Security Council of Ingushetia, Khamzat Aldiev was brought to the police station in Magas by deceit and then delivered to the Chechen Republic without any notification to his family members.

"Local agents of secret services do not take into account the findings of the Ingush adaptation commission and sentence Khamzat to 13 years of imprisonment. Of course, this is a negative fact for those people who are still in the woods. It is a signal that a legalized person recognized not guilty can be brought to another republic and put on trial there," the human rights activist has said.

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