Estemirova: Chechnya is replete with falsified cases on participation in illegal armed formations

Making her comments in the interview to the "Kommersant" newspaper on a scandalous case of a group of militiamen under command of Ruslan Asuev who used to kill peaceful residents in Chechnya for the sake of their service promotion, Natalia Estemirova, an employee of the Chechen Branch of the Human Rights Centre "Memorial," has stated that the cases when employees of power agencies, while imitating their fight against militants, are goofing on innocent people in Chechnya are "as many as one wishes."

Last week, the Public Prosecutor's Office of Chechnya completed the investigation and sent to the court the criminal case of Ruslan Asuev, leader of one of most dangerous gangs, also known as "Nurlan." The "record" of the criminals includes murders, kidnappings for ransom and armed assaults on peaceful citizens. The efforts of special agencies have already led to detainment of 10 suspects, 6 of whom had once been with Chechen militia. Other four assumed gang members are still in search.

Asuev was detained in spring of 2007 in Astrakhan. According to informal sources, he is a relative of one of high-ranking Chechen officials, and during the investigation the suspect's kin tried to exert pressure on the prosecutors.