Residents of Chechnya treat attack on Igor Kalyapin as challenge to Caucasian traditions

The Presidential Human Rights Council (HRC) has demanded to carry out a thorough investigation into the attack in Grozny on Igor Kalyapin, a member of the HRC, and to punish the guilty persons.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the attack on Igor Kalyapin, a member of the Russian Presidential Human Rights Council (HRC) and the head of the Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) was committed in the evening on March 16 near the "Grozny City" hotel, from where he was evicted. According to an eyewitness, the rights defender was attacked by about 15 people. After the attack in Grozny, Igor Kalyapin left for the Stavropol Territory.

"An unpunished public mockery of a member of the Presidential Human Rights Council is an offense, which affected not only Igor Kalyapin, but also each of us, the entire Presidential Human Rights Council. We stand in solidarity with our colleague and express our full support to him," declares the statement posted on the website of the HRC on March 17.

On March 17, Mikhail Fedotov, Chairman of the HRC, appealed to Vladimir Kolokoltsev, Russian Minister of Internal Affairs (MIA), with a request to take personal control over the investigation into the attack on Igor Kalyapin.

The actions of the persons who attacked Igor Kalyapin contradict the mentality and customs of the Chechen people, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told by leader of one of the Grozny NGOs who preferred to remain anonymous.

"I treat the incident which happened to Igor Kalyapin as a shame for all of us. Despite any possible kinds of attitude towards him, Igor Kalyapin is, first of all, a guest here. And in all times, guests in Chechnya and in the Caucasus are untouchable. Our fathers and grandfathers treated with respect even their blood feud enemies, and if any of them got to their houses, they assisted him, not even thinking about revenge," the source has said.

The attack on Igor Kalyapin has been prepared in advance, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told by Ramzan, a staff member of the Chechen Advocates' Chamber.

"It is clear that it was prepared in advance. At first, Igor Kalyapin was discharged from the hotel, and the attack took place almost immediately after that. It is also obvious that the attackers will not be found and that law enforcers will even hardly search for them," the man believes.

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