Chechen court treats refusal to investigate Grozny resident's claim of torture as legitimate

A Grozny court has found it legitimate the refusal to investigate the Lom-Ali Elbiev's statement of torture at the Mayoralty of Grozny, the Chechen capital. His advocate intends to appeal this decision at the Supreme Court (SC) of Chechnya, the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial"* has informed.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in June 2017, Lom-Ali Elbiev, a former director of the "Teplosnabzhenie" (Heat Supply Facility), said that he had been tortured when he was demanded to confess to embezzlement of budget money and to hand over 28 million roubles. After received death threats, he and his family left for Europe. In July 2019, Elbiev's advocate appealed to the court with a complaint that investigators in Grozny had three times refused to open a criminal case on his client's torture.

According to Elbiev, the work of the "Teplosnabzhenie", including all financial issues, was controlled by two officials. At a sitting on the supply of materials and the amount of work performed, Elbiev was accused of embezzlement; and on the same evening he was in the basement in handcuffs.

The materials of the check on Elbiev's statement say that the witnesses questioned, including those whom he accused of beating, failed to confirm the charges.

According to human rights defenders, on June 5, 2017, Elbiev told that he was forced to flee Russia "because of the brutal persecutions by the Mayor of Grozny, Muslim Khuchiev." He also told about torture and extortion.