A woman from Vremenny village claims no help from authorities after special operation

Residents of the Vremenny village spent in unbearable conditions three years after a large-scale special operation held in their village, and the Dagestani courts refused to consider a claim for compensation for lost property. This was reported by local resident Napisat Patakhova.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on September 18, 2014, residents of the village of Vremenny, which geographically was a part of the village of Gimry, reported that law enforcers cordoned off the village and searched their houses. Later, the Vremenny villagers also reported on shortage of food and destruction of domestic buildings by law enforcers. The villagers also complained that a school and a kindergarten were closed. On October 8, almost all civilians left the village of Vremenny. On November 26, it was reported that the counterterrorist operation (CTO) legal regime in the Untsukul District was lifted.

On October 24, the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" reported that in Dagestan, the courts denied Napisat Patakhova to consider the claim for compensation for the property lost during the counterterrorist operation (CTO) carried out in the village of Vremenny.

Napisat Patakhova herself told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent she had initially no hopes that the courts could pronounce a positive decision regarding her claim, but she had nowhere to appeal to.

"We have been living in unbearable conditions for three years already, if such existence can be called living. No authorities help us. They do absolutely nothing, no matter how many times we appealed to them. At the very beginning of the story, when we asked for help from the state bodies, only the Ministry for Emergencies (MfE) responded to our request. However, they also provided us not with food, but with forks and spoons, although we had nothing to eat," said Napisat Patakhova.

According to the woman, other residents affected by the CTO live with their relatives and friends, since not all houses could be restored.

Since the appeals to the Dagestani courts have not succeeded, a claim will be filed to the Tver District Court of Moscow. This was told to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent on October 25 by Marina Agaltsova, a lawyer from the HRC "Memorial", representing the interests of Napisat Patakhova.

"However, we go there without hope for a positive decision, since the Tver Court has already dismissed a similar claim filed by Aminat Supyanova, another affected resident of the Vremenny village," reported Marina Agaltsova.

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