14:09, 16 July 2008

Zaur Betilgireev, kidnapped by power agents in Chechnya, remains in custody

The information about release of Betilgireev, Zaur Khizirovich, a resident of Serzhen-Jurt village, Shali District of Chechnya, who was brought delivered to the Shali ROVD, was not confirmed. The local resident is still behind bars.

Minkail Ezhiev, head of the Human Rights Centre of the Chechen Republic, has informed today that about 6 a.m. Betilgireev, Zaur Khizirovich, born in 1981, a resident of Serzhen-Jurt village, was kidnapped and then released by employees of power agencies of Chechnya, who were assisted by federal militaries.

The Chechen Committee for National Salvation informs that the information about Betilgireev's release was wrong, and he is still under arrest.

Meanwhile, Mr Ezhiev asserts that Betilgireev's house was searched without proper sanction, and Zaur Khizirovich himself was transferred from Shali to Grozny, to ORB-2 for some investigatory actions related allegedly with some prepared crime; the operative workers have allegedly learnt about the crime from a telephone conversation of the detainee. Since morning and till now, Betilgireev was not provided any services of a lawyer.