Chechnya: Timurzievs' story continues practice of rejecting advocates

The relatives of the murdered Timurziev brothers, detained in Chechnya, were kept in the building of a power structure, her relative has reported. They should have turned to an advocate to find out the reasons of their detention, but the practice of rejecting advocates' services is widespread in Chechnya, says Oleg Orlov, the head of the Hot Spots programme of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial".

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on December 28, in Grozny, an attack was committed on policemen; one of them perished. Members of the Ingush teip (family clan) of Timurziev-Sultygov demanded to give the bodies of the killed brothers out to their relatives. On January 13, Ramzan Kadyrov said that if the case against the Timurziev brothers is considered under the terrorism article, their bodies will not be handed over to the family.

When they came to Chechnya, Timurzievs' relatives were kept in one of the buildings of a power structure, but not in a cell, their relative has explained. The family hopes that the bodies will be given out, as promised, after certain procedures.

Oleg Orlov, a rights defender, said that in Chechnya, after a person is detained or kidnapped, relatives often refuse to act according to the law; this practice is very harmful, it plays into the hands of law enforcers, who then resort to illegal methods.

The attacker in Grozny, Khasan Timurziev, one of the brothers, was alive after attacking the policemen, but could later be executed, the moderator of the 1Adat Telegram channel, has suggested. According to his version, there were reports "that Khasan was tortured to death; he had his eye lost."