On the morning of 17 December 2000 Said-Khuseyn Imakayev was driving back from the market to his home in Novye Atagi. That evening, Said-Khuseyn’s parents heard from their neighbors that they had seen Said-Khusein being detained at a roadblock between the villages of Starye and Novye Atagi. Other witnesses who watched his detention from a bus window testified that they had seen Said-Khuseyn being thrown into a military vehicle, which drove off in the direction of Novye Atagi. Additional witnesses saw an unknown man driving Said-Khuseyn’s car at high speed through Novye Atagi the same afternoon, followed by military vehicles. Said-Khuseyn has not been seen since.

 

Several months after filing an application with the European Court regarding the disappearance of their son, Marzet and Said-Magomed Imakayev were awakened early on the morning of 2 June by about 20 military servicemen, who arrived at their house in six armored personnel carriers (APC). The soldiers, some of whom wore masks, searched their house without offering any explanations and removed documents and other items from their home. During the search Said-Magomed was held against the wall and was then forced to leave with the soldiers. Marzet was able to speak with the senior officer of the group, who introduced himself as Alexander Grigoryevich “Boomerang.” “Boomerang” said that Said-Magomed would be taken to Shali, the district center. Said-Magomed subsequently disappeared.

 

Four other men who were detained that same night in Novye Atagi have also disappeared without a trace. A short description of the disappearance of Idris Abdulazimov, Islam Utsaev, Masud Tovmerzaev, and Movsar Taisumov can be found at http://www.srji.org/en/about/annual/2004/5/. SRJI has lodged an application to the Court on behalf of the relatives of these men as well.

 

In early August 2002 Marzet, together with relatives of the other four detained men, visited the military commander of Shali district. They noticed that one of the APCs present during the detentions on 2 June was parked in the courtyard. A crewmember of the APC was brought to the commander's office, where he acknowledged having been to Novye Atagi but could not recall the exact date. He further said that two individuals were taken away in his APC, but that they were taken out at the first military roadblock and that he did not know what happened to them. During this conversation the military commander stated that 27 individuals had been detained in June and 15 of them were “eliminated.”

 

In a further attempt to pressure Marzet into withdrawing her petition to the Court, a Senior Investigator from the Ministry of Interior visited the Imakayev’s home in late July 2002. He questioned her about the circumstances of her husband's detention and confirmed that the investigation was linked to her application to the European Court of Human Rights. When Marzet visited the Shali military commander in early August 2002 to seek information regarding her husband, she was again questioned regarding her application to the court and pressed to reveal how much she had paid to bring her case to the Court.