21:55, 12 February 2021

Three Ingush natives wanted in case on Eldjarkiev's assassination

Ibragim Eldjarkiev. Photo by the Russia's Ministry of Internal Affairs

The Investigating Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF) brought charges against three more Ingush natives in absentia in a case on an attack on Ibragim Eldjarkiev, the chief of the Ingush Centre for Combating Extremism (CCE, also known as Centre "E"), and put them on the wanted list, a source reported. One of the new suspects was arrested in absentia.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on November 2, 2019, in Moscow, Ibragim Eldjarkiev, the chief of the Ingush Centre "E", and his brother, doctor Akhmed Eldjarkiev, were shot and killed. Ibragim Eldjarkiev was likely attacked because of blood feud declared amid his conflict with members of the Batal-Khadji community, sources suggested. Alikhan Belkharoev was detained in the case on the attack on Ibragim Eldjarkiev. Relatives treat the prosecution of Alikhan Belkharoev as an attack on the members of the Batal-Khadji community.

The assassination of Ibragim Eldjarkiev was recognized as a terror act. Entrepreneur Khasan Polonkoev was mentioned by the ICRF as the leader of a grouping involved in the Ibragim Eldjarkiev's assassination. In October, a court prolonged the arrests of eight persons accused of attempting on the Ibragim Eldjarkiev's life, and three other suspects were arrested in absentia.

Members of the Batal-Khadji (Belkharoev) community form a brotherhood, which has great influence in Ingushetia. Batal-Khadji Belkhoroev was an Ingush sheikh, a founder of one of the Kadiri branches (wirds, i.e. religious communities), a follower of sheikh Kunta-Khadji. According to one of the versions, Ibragim Eldjarkiev could be attacked because of blood feud declared amid his conflict with the members of the Batal-Khadji community.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on February 12, 2021 at 02:15 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.