ECtHR awards 52,000 euros to sentenced Ingush resident

The European Court of Human Rights considered a complaint of Magomed Tsechoev, sentenced in Ingushetia, about torture after his detention and obliged the Russian authorities to compensate the non-pecuniary damage to the complainant.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on October 31, 2008, relatives of Ingush resident Magomed Tsechoev appealed to human rights defenders with a request to help him. According to the relatives, law enforcers unreasonably detained, tortured Magomed Tsechoev, and forced him to confess that on the night of June 21-22, 2004, he took part in the attack on Nazran as a member of a militant detachment led by Shamil Basaev.

On June 8, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) pronounced a decision in the “Magomed Tsechoev vs. Russia” case, the Human Rights Centre (HRC) “Memorial”* reports on its website today. “The complainant was awarded compensation for non-pecuniary damage in the amount of 52,000 euros,” the human rights defenders clarified.

According to the materials of the case, on June 21 and 22, 2004, members of the armed groupings attacked Nazran, as a result of which 78 people were killed and 113 others were injured. Magomed Tsechoev did not take part in the attack. He was at work those days.

On August 2, 2004, law enforcers kidnapped him from his working place, brought to some unknown place, and began to torture him. They demanded from Magomed Tsechoev to confess that he participated in the attack on Nazran, the human rights defenders noted. On August 4, 2004, the Nazran District Court placed Magomed Tsechoev in custody. After the court hearing, the man was taken to the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Ingushetia, where he was tortured and signed a confession prepared in advance by law enforcers, in which he incriminated not only himself, but also his former neighbour, the HRC “Memorial”* explained.

* The organization is included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) in the “Register of non-profit organizations performing the functions of a foreign agent”.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on June 8, 2021 at 02:49 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.