ECHR Cases from the North Caucasus

A military bombardment began late in the evening on 7 September 2002 in the village of Chechen-Aul located not far from the main Russian military base at Khankala. A total of 15 mortar shells struck the village that night. The first three shells landed on the home of Supyan Taysumov completely destroying the house and killing his son Kazbek Taysumov,  his daughter-in-law Zulpat Eskirkhanova and their three year-old daughter Ayshat Eskirkhanova. Only Supyan and his six-month old granddaughter survived the attack.

On 30 December 2002, Adlan Dovtayev was driving from Grozny to Urus-Martan with four acquaintances. Sharpuddin Israilov followed the same route accompanied by three police officers. At about 5.00 p.m. when Dovtayev's car was approaching a federal military check-point, two armoured personnel carriers ("APCs") crossed its path. The APC crew of Russian military servicemen fired at the car and forced it to stop. Dovtayev and his passengers were forcibly loaded into the APCs. At about 5.30 p.m. Israilov's car approached the same military check-point. Not far from the check-point, a group of Russian military servicemen forced the car to stop. The servicemen fired at the car with machine-guns wounding Israilov and two of his passengers. The apprehended men were thereafter driven to the woods. On the way, one of the wounded passengers died. All others, including Dovtayev and Israilov, were driven to the Khankala military federal base. The servicemen interrogated the detainees, beat and tortured them with electricity forcing them to confess to participation in a terrorist attack. On 31 December 2002, Dovtayev and Israilov were blindfolded and put in an UAZ vehicle that drove away. They have not been seen since. The criminal investigation into their case has not produced any results.

At 2 o'clock in the morning on 30 November 2003 three armoured personnel carriers arrived at the Gakiyevs' house in Argun. A group of Russian military servicemen burst inside. They severely beat Khalid Gakiyev and apprehended his son, Idris Gakiyev. Before leaving, taking Idris Gakiyev with them, they set the house on fire. Idris Gakiyev never returned home. On 29 March 2004, his dead body was found in a pit in Grozny. The official investigation into his disappearance and murder has not yielded any results.

At  about 2.30 a.m. on the night between 4 and 5 February 2003, a group of Russian military servicemen burst into Khachukayev's house in the village of Goyty. They searched the house, detained Murad Khachukayev and drove away in UAZ vehicles. Murad never returned home. On 10 February, his relatives heard that remains of a human body which had apparently been blown up had been found outside the village. They identified the remains as belonging to Murad. The  subsequent investigation into the killing has not produced any results.

On 8 November 2001 at about 4.30 a.m. three Russian military servicemen entered the house of the Alaudinov family in Urus-Martan. The servicemen conducted an identity check and took Bakkhan Alaudinov with them when they left. His mother tried to follow her son but was shot at as she approached. Bakkhan has been missing since. The authorities have failed to conduct a meaningful investigation into his disappearance.

At around 2 a.m. on 27 March 2004, eleven inhabitants of the village of Duba-Yurt were abducted by Russian military servicemen. The abduction of all men, Bayali and Sharip Elmurzayev, Khusin and Isa Khadzhimuradov, Lechi Shaipov, Api Murtazov, Zelimkhan Osmayev, Idris and Suleyman Elmurzayev, Umar and Ibragim Elmurzayev, followed the same pattern. Groups of Russian military servicemen burst into their respective houses and forced them into their military vehicles before driving away. Three of the men, Suleyman, Umar and Ibragim Elmurzayev, were let free and returned home the same day. The other eight never returned home. On 9 April, dead bodies were discovered in the forest near the village of Serzhen-Yurt. Eight of the bodies were identified as the missing men from Duba-Yurt. The bodies bore signs of a violent death with numerous gunshot wounds. The investigation into the disappearances and executions has not produced any results.

At about 4.00 a.m. on 10 April 2003 several military vehicles arrived at the Dzhabrailovs' house in the village of Goyty. Around twenty Russian military servicemen got off the vehicles, awakened the family and forced them to the floor. Then they seized Khanpasha Dzhabrailov's badge of an employee of a local human rights NGO and took Khanpasha with them as they left. He has been missing since. The investigation into his disappearance has not produced any results.

At about 3 p.m. on 8 February 2001, Abdul-Malik Shakhmurzayev's car was stopped by three APCs (armoured personal carriers) blocking the road between the village of Chechen-Aul and Grozny-Shatoy. Masked Russian military servicemen ordered him out of the car and started to beat and kick him in front of several witnesses. He was then put in one of the APCs and taken away. Abdul-Malik has not been seen since. The investigation into his disappearance has not produced any results.

At about 2.30 a.m. on 10 December 2002 a group of Russian military servicemen in masks rushed into the house of Isa Dokayev in Grozny. They apprehended Isa Dokayev and two of his guests, Ruslan Askhabov and Isa Dubayev, and placed black sacks over their heads. The servicemen searched the house and drove away with the three men in the direction of the Oktyabrskiy ROVD. The men have not been seen since. A criminal investigation was opened into their disappearance but failed to produce any results.

On 7 November 2002 at around 2 a.m. a group of about 25-30 masked Russian military servicemen forcibly entered the house of the Malsagov family. When they left, they took Savdi Malsagov with them. The investigation into his disappearance has not been meaningful.

Magomed Dzhabayev was detained in Grozny, Chechnya, on 10 March 2000 by officers belonging to the Oktyabrskiy District Temporary Office of the Interior. There has been no news of him since. The investigation into his disappearance has not been effective.

On 16 April 2002, the Saydaliyev family gathered their relatives at their house in the village of Serzhen-Yurt for the funeral of a family member. At about 1.00 p.m. two armoured personnel carriers (''APCs'') and three Ural vehicles arrived at the house. Around fifty or sixty Russian military servicemen descended from them. They blocked the gates to the courtyard and lined up all men against the wall to check their identity papers. When they left, they took Vakha Saydaliyev with them. He has been missing since. Witnesses have later stated that they have seen him in a military detention facility. The official investigation into his case has not produced any results.

On 14 February 2001 at 6 o’clock in the morning  Russian military servicemen abducted Magomed Dokuyev and his father  Vakhid Dokuyev from their home in the village of Novye Atagi. Vakhid was released on the following day but Magomed has not been seen since. A former detainee later informed the family that Magomed died in detention and was buried on a Russian military base but the family has not been granted access to the purported burial site. The SRJI together with Maxim Ferschtman of the Dutch law firm Böhler Franken Koppe Wijngaarden Advocaten filed an application regarding this case with ECtHR.

Russian military servicemen detained Rizvan Tatariyev and Sharpudi Visaitov in the village of Gekhi, Urus-Martan district, Chechnya, on 22 December 2001. Magomed Soltymuradov was arrested by military servicemen at his home in Urus-Martan on 11 January 2002. On 19 March 2002 servicemen detained Imran Dzhambekov in the village of Goyty, Urus-Martan district. All four men subsequently disappeared. The domestic investigation concluded that it was likely that the four men had been detained by Russian servicemen but yet failed to establish the whereabouts of the disappeared and the identity of the servicemen who carried out the detentions. <p> In December 2002, two female applicants in the case were detained during a peaceful manifestation against the disappearance of their close relatives. Between 11 and 15 December 2002, the two elderly women were held in deplorable conditions in the Gudermes ROVD.

Russian military servicemen detained Rizvan Tatariyev and Sharpudi Visaitov in the village of Gekhi, Urus-Martan district, Chechnya, on 22 December 2001. Magomed Soltymuradov was arrested by military servicemen at his home in Urus-Martan on 11 January 2002. On 19 March 2002 servicemen detained Imran Dzhambekov in the village of Goyty, Urus-Martan district. All four men subsequently disappeared. The domestic investigation concluded that it was likely that the four men had been detained by Russian servicemen but yet failed to establish the whereabouts of the disappeared and the identity of the servicemen who carried out the detentions. <p> In December 2002, two female applicants in the case were detained during a peaceful manifestation against the disappearance of their close relatives. Between 11 and 15 December 2002, the two elderly women were held in deplorable conditions in the Gudermes ROVD.

From 2 to 7 September 2002 Russian federal forces carried out a large-scale mop-up operation in the village of Tsotsi Yurt, Chechnya. Several people were detained during the operation, including Salakh Elsiyev, Iskhadzhi Demelkhanov, Adam Boltiyev, Dzhabrail Debishev, Lom-Ali Abubakarov, Ramzan Madiyev, Akhmed Demilkhanov and Aslambek Agmerzayev. When the operation ended on 7 September, most of the detainees were released. The eight men mentioned above, however, disappeared. The authorities acknowledged that a security operation was carried out in Tsotsi-Yurt but denied having detained the applicants' relatives. However, numerous villagers testified how the men were arrested by military servicemen and taken to a filtering point in an old mill.

In the night between 4 and 5 January 2003, about 20 Russian military servicemen broke into the house of the Khadayev family. The relatives recognized one of the them as belonging to the Federal Security Services (FSB). When the servicemen left, they took Ali with them. One relative followed the servicemen as they drove away and saw that they stopped at the Military Commander's Office in Urus-Martan. Ali has been missing since. Russian law-enforcement agencies later denied having detained Ali and the investigation into his disappearance has produced no results.

On 11 September 2000 Lecha Khazhmuradov was working with his fellow villagers in the woods close to the Gotinka River in the Urus-Martan District. At some point a group of Russian military servicemen in two armed personnel carriers (APCs) arrived. Without prior warning the servicemen opened fire at Lecha and another worker. They were both killed on the spot. The servicemen dropped the dead bodies in the river and drove away. An investigation into the murders was opened but it has not produced any results.

Early in the morning of 30 August 2002, Russian military servicemen arrived at the house of the Sagayev family in Urus-Martan. They detained and took away Ilias Sagayev. Neighbours saw how the servicemen drove away on armored personnel carriers (APCs). Ilias has not been seen since. At around 2 a.m. on 13 September 2002, six Russian military servicemen broke into the house of another branch of the Sagayev family in Urus-Martan. They apprehended Yunadi Sagayev and left. Yunadi has been missing since.The investigation into the two men's disappearances has not produced any results.

At about 5.15 a.m. on 21 December 2004 several Russian military servicemen burst into the Zubirayev's house in the village of Chechen-Aul. They started to beat the family's son Alis Zubirayev. As they left, they took Alis with them, put him in an UAZ vehicle and drove away. Alis has not been seen since. The investigation into his disappearance has not produced any results.