15:15, 28 August 2003

Despotism of Russian servicemen at block-post "Kavkaz-1"

At about noon on August 25, 2003, Russian servicemen seized identity cards of two members of the Human Rights Center "Memorial" during the inspection of motor transport at the block-post "Kavkaz-1". The head of the Gudermes Legal Advice Office Liliya Yusupova and the car driver were going from Gudermes to Nazran on business. The human rights activists said the servicemen had declared that those identity cards might be false for such "papers were churned out" in Moscow. Then the servicemen let them continue their trip but refused to introduce themselves and say who of them could return the seized identity cards.

The block-post "Kavkaz-1" has been ill-spoken for a long time. The extortion of car drivers is a regular thing at this post, as well as unsanctioned arrests and further disappearances of people. To pass this post, each driver has to pay the tax of 50 rubles.

Source: Public organization "Chechen National Rescue Committee"