Lawyers accuse authorities of protracting inquiry into Katyr-Yurt bombing

The protraction of the investigation into the bombing of the Chechen village of Katyr-Yurt in 2000 is caused by the reluctance to prosecute militaries, lawyers assert. In their opinion, Russian investigators, unlike the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), fail to take into account testimonies of victims from among civilians.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the ECtHR has accepted the fourth complaint about the bombing of the Chechen village of Katyr-Yurt in 2000. It was lodged on behalf of Marusa Abueva, a resident of Katyr-Yurt, who lost her son Ruslan in the bombing. Until January 18, 2019, Russia should answer questions about the progress of the investigation, the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" has stated.

The consideration of the Katyr-Yurt bombing case lasts for more than a decade; and the problem is not in the bureaucracy of the judicial system, Kirill Koroteev, an advocate believes.

"Russian authorities are deliberately unwilling to bring the case to an end," he has stated.

According to Mr Koroteev, if the inquiry is done in full, then, Russian militaries, including generals, need to be criminally prosecuted.

He believes that since 2003, Russia's efforts are aimed at refuting the conclusions of the ECtHR.

"Russian authorities state that in that situation there was 'a justified use of military force'," Kirill Koroteev has stated.

Tatiana Chernikova, a lawyer of the HRC "Memorial", also believes that Russia, in principle, does not want to complete the investigation.