Woman from Kabardino-Balkaria complains of blackmailing by militiaman

Marina Bottaeva, 20, a resident of Nalchik, addressed human rights organizations with an application that he was blackmailed by a law enforcer named Arsen Iritov, born in 1985, a relative of Naurbi Zhamborov, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs.

"Since December 2007 I was meeting with militiaman Arsen Iritov. We had serious relations and were going to get married. But he concealed from me the fact that he was in civil marriage with another woman. This circumstance caused me to break relations with him. My decision provoked his negative reaction. He repeatedly exerted moral and physical pressure on me, beat me, threatened and offended," runs Ms Bottaeva's statement. She writes that last November Iritov threatened her with his service pistol; another case of this sort took place on February 19.

"I am afraid for my life. His position and links among the authorities raise doubts that I can find defence in law enforcement bodies," writes Marina Bottaeva in her application.

The girl asks human rights organizations "to protect her from encroachments on her health and safeguard from interventions into her private life."

In her conversation with the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent, Marina Bottaeva confirmed everything she had written in her application and also said that last time her former groom beat her last Friday, on April 17, in the workplace, which was fixed by surveillance cameras. The law enforcer also promised not to kill, but cripple his former girlfriend, so that she would stay in a wheelchair.

According to Marina, she had earlier addressed the department of own security of the KBR's MIA, but no actions concerning Iritov were undertaken.

The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent addressed Naurbi Zhamborov, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, for comments.

"I have no relatives with such surname. Let the girl address to us, and the prosecutor's office," said the Deputy Minister and promised that Iritov will be dismissed from the MIA, "not to shame the militia uniform and compromise the top management of the KBR's MIA."

After Marina Bottaeva's appeal to human rights activists, the security department of the KBR's MIA sent her application and check materials to the Investigatory Committee at the KBR's Prosecutor's Office.