Authorities ignore Muftiate’s call to investigate CTO in Kabardino-Balkaria

The authorities have not yet responded to the call of the Muftiate of Kabardino-Balkaria to investigate the circumstances of the July counterterrorist operation (CTO) in Nalchik, human rights defender Zaur Shokuev reported. The Investigating Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF) has a month to make a decision to institute a case on the death of Anzor Barazov, who was declared a militant by the law enforcement bodies.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on July 3, law enforcers carried out a special operation in Nalchik and Baksan, as a result of which five killed suspects, including Khasanbi Khupsergenov, Anzor Barazov, Arsen Mendokhov, Tamaz Chikhradze, and Khasan Shogenov, were declared militants. According to the information of journalist Nadezhda Kevorkova, the men were all kidnapped, and the special operation was staged. Relatives of Anzor Barazov found signs of torture on his body.

On July 7, the Muftiate of the republic called for an unbiased investigation into the circumstances of the CTO in Nalchik and noted “great concern in the Muslim ummah (collective community of Islamic people).” The call of the Muftiate is unprecedented, and it testifies of the categorical distrust of society towards law enforcers and the authorities in general, human rights defenders note.

The ICRF has 30 days to make a decision whether to start an investigation or not, explains Magomed Alamov, the head of the North-Caucasian branch of the Committee against Torture (CaT). In case if the investigators to refuse to institute a criminal case, their decision can be challenged.