15:12, 3 September 2016

Ruslan Martagov contacts his relatives by mobile phone

Today, at 2:20 p.m. Moscow time, political analyst Ruslan Martagov, whose disappearance had been earlier claimed by his relatives, has called his sons and a daughter from his mobile phone. He has reported that he stays with friends and asked his relatives not to worry about him.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Ruslan Martagov disappeared on September 1. On that day, he went to Grozny at the invitation of the Chechen Ministry for Information and stopped communicating while returning home by taxi. The Chechen authorities have denied any involvement in the Ruslan Martagov's disappearance.

In early 1990s, Ruslan Martagov was in opposition to Djokhar Dudaev and was a member of the armed movement against Ichkeria's separatist course. Martagov has been a consistent critic of Ramzan Kadyrov, openly speaking out against the practice of intimidation of rights defenders and journalists in the republic.

Today, Ruslan Martagov has called from his mobile phone his two sons and daughter and said that he was all right. This was told to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent by Ilyas, the eldest son of Ruslan Martagov.

According to him, his father has told all the relatives almost the same. "As usually, my father was speaking Chechen with addition of some Russian words. As a lot of Chechens use to speak," said Ilyas. He has also reported that immediately after the call to the relatives, his father's mobile phone was switched off again.

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

Source: CK correspondent