Cases 441 - 460 of 766

Ayshat Kosumova and Others v. Russia, (6659/09)

Judgement date: 30/01/2014
Communicated: 21/11/2011
Lodged: 30/12/2008
Date of violations: 08/05/2004
Location: Chechnya, the settlement of Chiri-Yurt
Representative: D. Itslayev
Violation: Disappearance

On 8 May 2004 at around midnight a convoy of vehicles, including two APCs (one of which had the registration no. 233), a UAZ “tabletka” car, two NIVA cars, four VAZ cars and a GAZEL minivan, arrived at the neighbourhood. Several groups of up to fifteen armed, masked and camouflaged servicemen got out of the vehicles and stormed into the applicants’ and Ramzan’s mother’s houses, as well as three other neighbouring houses. The servicemen conducted a quick search in Ramzan’s mother’s house, locked her inside and left. At the applicants’ house, the servicemen, who spoke unaccented Russian, checked Ramzan’s passport and took Ramzan outside. Around five or six servicemen searched the premises saying that they were looking for Wahhabis, radical Chechen rebels, as they had received information that the applicant’s family was a Wahhabi one. Then the intruders tied the first applicant’s limbs, sealed her mouth with duct tape and left. Shortly afterwards the applicant managed to set herself free and tried to follow the departing vehicles. She saw them passing through checkpoint no. 121 between Chiri-Yurt and Novye Atagi. On 10 May 2004 the Shali district prosecutor’s office denied that they had any information of the events. The applicants conducted their own investigation into the abduction. Their acquaintance, Mr Nur-Ali Eskiyev, informed them that Ramzan had been taken to the FSB department in Avtury upon the order of Mr Sergey Gromov, a FSB officer, also known as ‘Terek’. After that Ramzan had been transferred to a FSB department in Stariye Atagi headed by a FSB officer nicknamed ‘Piton’. Both FSB departments acknowledged Ramzan’s detention on their premises and guaranteed his safety. At a certain point ‘Piton’ negotiated Ramzan’s release with the applicants against a machinegun. They agreed on meeting for the exchange in the outskirts of Mesker-Yurt by the Rostov-Baku road. At the meeting ‘Piton’ informed the applicants that Ramzan had been transferred to the Main Federal Military Base in Khankala and therefore he was unable to obtain his release.  The applicants have not seen Mr Ramzan Shaipov since his abduction on 8 May 2004.

 

Deshi Ibragimova v. Russia, (6647/09)

Judgement date: 30/01/2014
Communicated: 21/11/2011
Lodged: 23/01/2009
Date of violations: 16/07/2003
Location: Chechnya, Shali
Representative: SRJI
Violation: Disappearance

On 16 July 2003 at around 5 p.m. a gray UAZ “tabletka” car without registration numbers and a white VAZ-21099 car with blackened windows arrived at the applicant’s house. A group of twelve to fifteen camouflaged servicemen in helmets got out of the UAZ. They spoke unaccented Russian and were armed with machineguns, pistols and special firearms with silencers of Russian special forces (“vintorezy”, винторезы). The servicemen quickly searched the premises looking for firearms. Then they put Artur Ibragimov in the UAZ and drove in the direction of Serzhen-Yurt. The servicemen also used an APC, which departed in the direction of Avtury. On 17 July 2003 Mr Dakayev, the head of the Shali administration, told the applicant that the servicemen could have belonged to special division no. 1 or 2 (Дивизия особого назначения № 1, 2, ДОН-1, 2) or the Federal Security Service (the FSB) unit stationed in the outskirts of Avtury whereas the Shali district military commander’s office denied any knowledge of the events. On 18 July 2003 the applicant handed over the serviceman’s identification tag to an investigator of the Shali district prosecutor’s office, who promised to her to have it examined by experts. In 2004 the applicant learnt from anonymous witnesses that her nephew had been taken to the Main Federal Military Base in Khankala and then transferred to a detention ward in Chernokozovo. The applicant has not seen Mr Artur Ibragimov since his abduction 16 July 2003.

 

Mikiyeva and Menchayeva v. Russia, (61536/08)

Judgement date: 30/01/2014
Communicated: 21/11/2011
Lodged: 09/12/2008
Date of violations: 03/05/2001
Location: Chechnya, the settlement of Tsa-Vedeno
Representative: SRJI
Violation: Disappearance

On 3 May 2001 at around 7 a.m. federal servicemen started a sweeping-up operation in the settlement of Tsa-Vedeno. A group of thirty armed servicemen, some of whom were wearing masks, parked their two APCs and a URAL lorry by the applicant’s porch and burst into the house. They forced outside Mr Isa Mikiyev and his son, Mr Khalid Mikiyev, and put them in one of the APCs. Further, the servicemen took Khalid’s passport and drove in the direction of Grozny. The applicants followed the intruders. According to them, the servicemen freely passed through a checkpoint situated at the exit from the village; the checkpoint was closed for crossing that day. However, on-duty officers denied to the applicants that they had seen the vehicles and suggested that the applicants returned home in case of another check. The applicants obeyed. Upon return, they saw groups of servicemen who were conducting identity checks in almost every courtyard. There were many military vehicles, including APCs, and helicopters were flying over the settlement. As a result of the operation, the servicemen took away another 18 men, including Mr Akhyad Saydulayev, a neighbour. One abduction case, Atabayeva and Others v. Russia (no. 26064/02, 12 June 2008), was examined by the Court. All but five men (Isa Mikiyev, Sultan and Chumadi Indarbayev, Khampasha and Ramzan Kukuyev) were subsequently released. The last release took place on 21 May 2001. According to Khalid Mikiyev, once arrived at the checkpoint on 3 May 2001, the servicemen put Isa, Akhyad and himself, along with the other 17 Tsa-Vedeno residents, in a military helicopter and took them to a military base in Khankala. There servicemen took out all of the detainees, except for Khalid and Akhyad. The latter were further escorted to Serzhen-Yurt. In the afternoon on the same day the Tsa-Vedeno district military commander’s office informed the applicants that Khalid and Akhyad were in Shali. Local policemen brought them home in the evening. Other detainees told the applicants that in Khankala they had been placed together with Isa in a cellar. Servicemen had questioned the detainees one by one and beaten them up. The applicants have not seen Mr Isa Mikiyev since his abduction on 3 May 2001.

 

Ekazhev v. Russia, (6490/08)

Communicated: 24/01/2014
Lodged: 18/12/2007
Date of violations: 12/03/2005
Location: Kabardino-Balkaria, Nalchik
Representative: I. Timishev
Violation: Ill-treatment

On 12 March 2005 and on 13 October 2005 applicant was allegedly beaten up by checkpoint officers between Nazran and Nalchik. Investigator refused to institute criminal proceedings against the checkpoint officers. A judge upheld the refusal, noting that the related facts had already been examined at the applicant’s own trial. The applicant complains under Articles 3 and 13 of the Convention that he was ill-treated by the checkpoint officers and that the investigating authorities and the courts failed to properly establish the relevant circumstances.

 

Kushtova and Others v. Russia, (21885/07)

Judgement date: 16/01/2014
Communicated: 17/02/2009
Lodged: 21/05/2007
Date of violations: 10/07/2006
Location: Ingushetia, Village of Ekazhevo
Representative: SRJI
Violation: Non-return of bodies

On 10 July 2006 the Federal Security Service of Russia (the FSB) carried out a military operation in the village of Ekazhevo in Ingushetia . On the same date the FSB Director reported that as a result of an explosion a group of “guerrilla fighters”, including Isa Kushtov, had been “eliminated”. On 11 July 2006 Isa's relatives identified his body in the Nazran morgue. Isa's mother also left a blood sample for the identification of her son. In August 2006, the prosecutor's office refused to return Isa's body to his relatives for funeral on the ground that the persons killed on 10 July had not been identified. The decision was later upheld by both the district court and supreme court of Ingushetia.

 

Abdulayeva v. Russia, (38552/05)

Judgement date: 16/01/2014
Communicated: 18/05/2009
Lodged: 26/10/2005
Date of violations: 14/01/2005
Location: Chechnya, Village of Zumsoy
Representative: SRJI
Violation: Non-return of bodies

On 14 January 2005 Sultan Vagapov was killed in the course of a mopping-up operation carried out by Russian military servicemen in the Chechen village of Zumsoy. It appears that his body was taken to the military base of Khankala. His mother has since unsuccessfully requested to see her son's body and to have the body handed over for burial. In a decision of 26 April 2005 the military prosecutor denied her request stating that “the bodies of terrorists are not handed over for burial and the place of their burial remains undisclosed”.

 

Zalov and Khakulova v. Russia , (7988/09)

Judgement date: 16/01/2014
Communicated: 22/06/2009
Lodged: 11/12/2008
Date of violations: 13/10/2005
Location: Kabardino-Balkaria, Nalchik
Representative: SRJI
Violation: Non-return of bodies

Early in the morning of 13 October 2005 law enforcement officers in the city of Nalchik were attacked, reportedly by armed insurgents. Around 135 people were killed in the ensuing battle, and dozens of unidentified bodies were taken to the town morgue where they were kept in appalling conditions. Zamir Zalov and Murat Khakulov were among those killed. As with the other bodies (see Sabanchiyeva v. Russia, 38450/05) Russian authorities have subsequently refused to hand them over to relatives for burial.

 

Arkhestov and Others v. Russia, (22089/07)

Judgement date: 16/01/2014
Communicated: 02/09/2009
Lodged: 10/04/2007
Date of violations: 23/10/2005
12/11/2005
06/01/2006
Location: Kabardino-Balkaria, Nalchik
Representative: SRJI
Violation: Non-return of bodies

Early in the morning of 13 October 2005 law enforcement officers in the city of Nalchik were attacked, reportedly by armed insurgents. Around 135 people were killed in the ensuing battle, and dozens of unidentified bodies were taken to the town morgue where they were kept in appalling conditions. Lokman Arkhestov, Kantemir Balkizov, Arsen Margushev, Anatoliy Tukov and Aslan Shogenov were among those killed. Azamat Brayev was killed on 12 November 2005 and Albert Zhekamukhov on 6 January 2006. As in several other cases (see e.g. Sabanchiyeva v. Russia, 38450/05, and Zalov and Khakulova v. Russia, 7988/09) Russian authorities have subsequently refused to hand over their bodies to relatives for burial.

 

Dokuyevy v. Russia, (26277/11)

Judgement date: 16/01/2014
Communicated: 07/11/2011
Lodged: 07/04/2011
Date of violations: 11/08/2002
Location: Chechnya, Avtury
Representative: MATERI CHECHNI
Violation: Disappearance

On 11 August 2002 at around 4 a.m. a group of masked and camouflaged servicemen armed with machineguns broke into the applicants’ house in the Avtury settlement, the Shali District. They arrived in two grey APCs and a UAZ vehicle without registration plates. The servicemen threatened the applicants with firearms and then took Uvays Dokuyev away in the UAZ. They told the applicants that they intended to check his identity through a computerised database at the Shali district military commander’s office. The servicemen did not let the applicants follow, throwing smoke grenades to keep them away. The Shali district military commander’s office denied to the applicants that Uvays had ever been brought there. The applicants have not seen Uvays Dokuyev since his abduction on 11 August 2002.

 

Musluyevy v. Russia, (14321/11)

Judgement date: 16/01/2014
Communicated: 07/11/2011
Lodged: 11/02/2011
Date of violations: 08/06/2002
Location: Chechnya, Shali
Representative: MATERI CHECHNI
Violation: Disappearance

On 8 June 2002 at 6 a.m. an APC with registration no. 023 and a UAZ vehicle without registration plates arrived at the applicants’ house in Shali. A group of masked and camouflaged servicemen carrying shields and machineguns got out of the vehicles. A part of them cordoned off the house, whereas the others stormed inside. After searching the premises, the servicemen took Rizvan and Bislan outside and pushed them to the ground. They told the applicants in unaccented Russian that they would check whether the two brothers were involved in something illegal and, if not, would set them free. Then the servicemen put Rizvan and Bislan in their military vehicles and drove away to an unknown destination. The applicants have not seen Rizvan and Bislan Musliyev since their abduction on 8 June 2002.

 

Salmurzayeva v. Russia, (7409/11)

Judgement date: 16/01/2014
Communicated: 07/11/2011
Lodged: 29/12/2010
Date of violations: 21/07/2002
Location: Chechnya, Urus-Martan
Representative: D. Itslayev
Violation: Disappearance

On 21 July 2002 at 2.30 a.m. around ten to fifteen camouflaged servicemen armed with machineguns broke into the Alkhazur Salmurzayev's house. All but one were masked and had Slavic features. The intruders locked the Alhkazur's mother and father in a room, searched the house, then Alkhazur and his brother and checked their passports. Then they took Alkhazur outside and walked away with him in the direction of the Urus-Martan – Alkhazurovo road, where a military checkpoint manned by servicemen from the Yaroslavl Special Task Police Unit (ОМОН) was situated. Shortly afterwards the applicant heard the noise of starting engines. Other witnesses saw an APC and 3 UAZ vehicles in the vicinity. On the same night the servicemen also broke into a neighbouring house. For two months after the abduction the applicant regularly contacted various law-enforcement agencies and local administrations, which promised to her to establish her son’s whereabouts. In the end, Mr Kovrayev, the head of the Urus-Martan district administration, told her that Alkhazur was dead; at some point later he retracted and claimed that Alkhazur was somewhere in detention. The applicant has not seen Mr Alkhazur Salmurzayev since his abduction on 21 July 2002.

 

Baymuradova and Others v. Russia, (2685/11)

Judgement date: 16/01/2014
Communicated: 07/11/2011
Lodged: 03/12/2010
Date of violations: 14/07/2001
Location: Chechnya, Serzhen-Yurt
Representative: MATERI CHECHNI
Violation: Disappearance

On 14 July 2001 at around 3 a.m. a group of masked servicemen in camouflage uniforms, armed with machineguns, broke into the Baymuradovs’ house in Serzhen-Yurt. They beat up Mr Sobur-Ali and Mr Bislan Bedigov, then covered their heads with white cloths and dragged them to the backyard. The servicemen continued beating the men outside. Then they tied Sobur-Ali’s limbs and covered the two men’s mouths with duct tape. Further, one of the servicemen, acting on an order received through his portable radio, led Bislan to the basement and mined the door. Meanwhile, the servicemen locked the applicants in a room. Then they searched the house and took away a number of valuables, leaving the house in a mess. After that the servicemen put Sobur-Ali in an APC and, accompanied by a convoy of another APC and two URAL lorries, drove away. The vehicles’ registration numbers were obscured with mud. The applicants have not seen Mr Sobur-Ali Bedigov since his abduction on 14 July 2001.

 

Mazhiyeva and Others v. Russia, (2650/11)

Judgement date: 16/01/2014
Communicated: 07/11/2011
Lodged: 27/12/2010
Date of violations: 04/01/2003
Location: Chechnya, Grozny
Representative: SRJI
Violation: Disappearance

On 4 January 2003 at around 4 a.m. a group of armed and camouflaged servicemen cordoned off the Mazhiyevs’ block of flats on 2 APCs, 2 UAZs “tabletka” and a URAL. They burst into the Mazhiyevs’ flats on the pretext of an identity check. Some of them were wearing masks and helmets with torches. The unmasked servicemen had Slavic features. In unaccented Russian they asked the applicants and their relatives for the identity documents, arms, money and valuables and ordered them to lie down on the floor. Then the servicemen tied Alik’s, Arbi’s, Khasan’s and Khuseyn’s hands, gagged them and the men’s mouths with duct tape, took their identity Documents and led them outside. They put four men into their vehicles and drove away in an unknown direction. The applicants have not seen Mazhieyv Alik, Arbi, Khasan and Khuseyn since their abduction on 4 January 2003.

 

Mukhtarova and Others v. Russia, (2543/11)

Judgement date: 16/01/2014
Communicated: 07/11/2011
Lodged: 27/12/2010
Date of violations: 16/07/2003
Location: Chechnya, Grozny
Representative: SRJI
Violation: Disappearance

On 16 July 2003 between 4 and 5 a.m. groups of up to ten camouflaged servicemen armed with machineguns broke into Mr Rustam Shakhgareyev’s and Mr Zelimkhan Kagirov’s flats. Some servicemen did not have masks and had Slavic features. After quick questioning and search of the premises, the servicemen took the two men outside, put them in their vehicles with obscured registration numbers and departed in an unknown direction. The servicemen told the applicants to look for Rustam and Zelimkhan at the Ministry of the Interior. Meanwhile Mr Zelimkhan Latayev and Mr Khavazhi Aliyev noticed that their house was surrounded by servicemen and tried to escape through the window. However, once in the street, they were arrested by servicemen who drove them away. It appears that ten other residents were arrested by the servicemen on the same day. A convoy of several cars freely passed through a checkpoint situated on an exit road from Chernorechye. Offices of the law-enforcement agencies located in the vicinity, such as the Zavodskoy district department of the interior (the ROVD) and the district military commander’s office, denied having any knowledge of the events. The applicants have not seen Rustam Shakhgareyev, Zelimkhan Kagirov,  Zelimkhan Latayev and Khavazhi Aliyev since their abduction on 16 July 2003.

 

Bakhrudin Akhmatov v. Russia, (38828/10)

Judgement date: 16/01/2014
Communicated: 07/11/2011
Lodged: 16/06/2010
Date of violations: 06/01/2005
Location: Chechnya, the village of Noybera
Representative: D. Itslayev
Violation: Disappearance

On 6 January 2005 at around 4 p.m. 3 armed persons arrived at the applicant’s house in a silver VAZ-21099 car without registration plates. They talked to Lom-Ali outside in the street and then took him in their car to Gudermes. The applicant has not seen Mr Lom-Ali Akhmoatov since his abduction on 6 January 2005. The investigation has been suspended and resumed on several occasions (the last resumption took place on 17 February 2010), without attaining any tangible result.

 

Abdulvakhidova v. Russia, (52446/10)

Judgement date: 09/01/2014
Communicated: 07/09/2011
Lodged: 17/06/2010
Date of violations: 26/05/2001
Location: Chechnya, Shali
Representative: Others
Violation: Disappearance

On 26 May 2001 a special regiment of the federal forces conducted a military operation in Shali. At around 4 a.m. a group of armed, masked and camouflaged men broke into Adam Abdulvakhidov’s house and took him away in an APC without registration numbers. The applicant has not seen Mr Adam Abdulvakhidov since his abduction on 26 May 2001.

 

Malikhat Ibragimova v. Russia, (30592/10)

Judgement date: 09/01/2014
Communicated: 07/09/2011
Lodged: 18/05/2010
Date of violations: 24/04/2001
Location: Chechnya, Novye Atagi
Representative: Others
Violation: Disappearance

At the relevant time the applicant, her husband Mr Masud Khakimov and their children resided in the Red Cross refugee camp situated on the premises of a secondary school in Novye Atagi. On 24 April 2001 armed servicemen in camouflage uniforms broke into the building and abducted Mr Masud Khakimov together with four other men. Sometime later Mr Gennadiy Nakhayev, the Shali district military commander, told the applicant that her husband had been taken away either by servicemen from special division no. 2 or by special regiment no. 19 of Novosibirsk, headed by colonel Mr Dortsenko. The applicant has not seen Mr Masud Khakimov since his abduction on 24 April 2001.

 

Yagayeva v. Russia, (8594/09)

Judgement date: 09/01/2014
Communicated: 07/09/2011
Lodged: 01/02/2009
Date of violations: 17/03/2006
Location: Chechnya, Grozny
Representative: Committee Against Torture
Violation: Disappearance

On 17 March 2006 at 11 p.m. 15 servicemen with Slavic features broke into the applicant and her husband's flat in Grozny as if for an identity check. They had previously searched adjacent flats and blown up a grenade by the applicant's porch. Some of the men spoke unaccented Russian, some spoke Chechen. The servicemen were wearing Russian uniform and carrying machine-guns, shields, caps and helmets with torches. After a quick search of the flat, the men pulled Mr Zayndi Ayubov's jacket over his head, dragged him outside, put him in one of their two white GAZEL cars and drove away. The applicant has not seen Mr Zayndi Ayubov since the abduction on 17 March 2006.

 

Basnukayevy, Alisultanovy and others v. Russia, (66420/10)

Judgement date: 09/01/2014
Communicated: 07/09/2011
Lodged: 07/10/2010
Date of violations: 16/04/2000
Location: Chechnya, Chechen-Aul
Representative: D. Itslayev
Violation: Disappearance

The Basnukayevs and the Alisultanovs are neighbours. Mr Mausyr Basnukayev lived together with his family. Mr Vakha Alisultanov lived together with his family and son Rustam. Mr Vakha Alisultanov’s brother, Mr Shamsudi Alisultanov, was staying at Vakha’s place in April 2000. The Basnukayevs’ house was situated in 300 metres from the Alisultanovs’ house in the settlement of Chechen-Aul. In April 2000 Chechen-Aul was under curfew and surrounded by Russian military checkpoints. On 16 April 2000 at around 3 a.m. around thirty camouflaged servicemen armed with short barrelled machine-guns cordoned off the applicants’ houses and broke inside. They parked their APC, URAL lorry and two UAZ cars in the vicinity. Those of the intruders who were unmasked had Slavic appearance. Questioning the applicants about drugs and firearms in unaccented Russian, the servicemen searched the dwellings. They beat up Shamsudi and Vakha. They checked Mausyr’s, Vakha’s and Shamsudi’s identity documents and took them outside. Rustam accompanied Vakha and Shamsudi. After placing Mausyr and Vakha in the URAL lorry and Shamsudi in one of the UAZ vehicles, the servicemen drove away towards the outskirts. The 7th applicant submitted that he had seen UAZ track prints on the ground next to the Alisultanovs’ house on the morning following the abduction. The applicants have not seen their three relatives since their abduction on 16 April 2000.

 

Elbuzdukayeva v. Russia, (62244/10)

Judgement date: 09/01/2014
Communicated: 07/09/2011
Lodged: 13/10/2010
Date of violations: 25/02/2004
Location: Chechnya, Grozny
Representative: SRJI
Violation: Disappearance

In February 2004 Mr Suliman Yunusov was staying in his friend’s house in Grozny. At that time Grozny was surrounded by a number of Russian military checkpoints. The nearest checkpoint was situated within 300 metres from the house, at the crossroads of Pervomayskaya and Mayakovskaya Streets. On 25 February 2004 at around 7 a.m. a group of twelve to fifteen armed servicemen in camouflage uniforms arrived in an APC, two white NIVA cars and a white VOLGA car at the house of Suliman’s friend. Another two APCs were waiting at the crossroads. The servicemen of Slavic and Asian appearances broke into the friend’s house and the neighbouring ones and searched them. In a neighbouring house the servicemen beat up male family members and questioned them about members of illegal armed groups. One of them, Musa, showed his service identity card stating that he worked at the Ministry of Emergencies. The neighbours heard the servicemen saying over their portable radio transmitters: “Zakat (sunset), we are leaving!” Shortly thereafter the servicemen left. Meanwhile the other group of servicemen took Suliman out of his friend’s house, put him in one of their NIVA cars and drove him away in the direction of Pervomayskaya Street. The applicant submitted that on 25 February 2004, in connection with a murder of a fellow officer, the servicemen had conducted the large scale mopping-up operation in Grozny. The applicant has not seen Mr Suliman Yunusov since his abduction on 25 February 2004.

 
Cases 441 - 460 of 766