ECHR Cases from the North Caucasus

On 25 November 2004 a group of armed servicemen in two UAZ (“tabletka”) minivans and three URAL lorries arrested Mr Alikhan Golbatsov on a street in Avtury and took him away. On 10 January 2005 the Shali district prosecutor’s office opened criminal case no. 46002. The investigation is still pending.

The applicants are close relatives of of Ruslanbek Boltiyev  who was allegedly abducted in 2003 by servicemen from home in Chechnya. The event took place in the area under full control of the military forces. The applicants have had no news of their missing relative thereafter. The proceedings, after having been suspended and resumed on several occasions, have been pending for several years without attaining any tangible results. Referring to Article 2 of the Convention, the applicants complain of the violation of the right to life of their relative and submit that the circumstances of his abduction and ensuing disappearance indicate that he had been abducted by State agents. The applicants further complain that no effective investigation was carried out into the incident.

On 4 May 2003 (in the documents submitted the date was also referred to as 5 May 2003) a group of about thirty armed servicemen arrived at the applicants’ house in APCs and UAZ minivans and took Mr Lema Khamzatov away. On 15 May 2003 the Zavodskoy district prosecutor’s office in Grozny opened criminal case no. 30069. The investigation is still pending.

On 7 October 2003 a group of armed servicemen arrived at the applicant’s relatives’ house in Ingushetia in a military UAZ vehicle, a Niva car and a Gazel minivan and took Mr Ruslan Pareulidze away. On 20 October 2003 the Sunzhenskiy district prosecutor’s office in Ingushetia opened criminal case no. 23600067 (in the documents submitted the number was also referred to as 036600067). The investigation is still pending.

On 18 September 2002 seven to eight armed servicemen in camouflage uniforms broke into the applicants’ house and took Mr Said-Emin Magaziyev to the Samashki military commander’s office. A few hours later he was transferred from there to an unknown destination. On 28 September 2002 the Achkhoy-Martan district prosecutor’s office opened criminal case no. 63072. The investigation is currently pending.

On 14 October 2004 a group of armed servicemen arrived at the applicant’s house in two APCs and two URAL vehicles and took Mr Aslan Abubakarov away. On 1 November 2004 the Achkhoy-Martan inter-district prosecutors’ office opened criminal case no. 38050. The investigation is still pending.

On 29 September 2004 Mr Arbi Isiyev was abducted from Gudermesskaya Street in Argun by several servicemen in camouflage uniforms and balaclavas. On 23 October 2004 the Argun town prosecutor’s office opened criminal case no. 48042. The investigation is currently pending.

On 12 May 2002 a group of eight to nine armed servicemen in camouflage uniforms and balaclavas took Mr Alvi Lorsnukayev from his brother’s flat in Grozny to an unknown destination. On 24 July 2002 the Grozny prosecutor’s office opened criminal case no. 48116. The investigation is currently pending.

On 17 July 2002 several armed servicemen in camouflage uniforms and balaclavas broke into the applicant’s house in Shali and took away Mr Khamzat Chapsurkayev. On 29 November 2002 the Shali district prosecutor’s office opened criminal case no. 59267. The investigation is currently pending.

On 11 July 2002 federal servicemen conducted a special operation in Chechen Aul during which Mr Said-Magomed Vatsayev was shot and wounded by the servicemen on the bank of the Argun river and then taken away to an unknown destination. On 24 January 2006 the Grozny district prosecutor’s office opened criminal case no. 54006 under Article 105 of the Criminal Code. The investigation is currently pending.

On 28 May 2000 Mr Shamil Amirkhadzhiyev was detained by servicemen at the checkpoint near the canning factory in Grozny, forced into the APC and driven away. On 29 July 2005 the Leninskiy district prosecutor’s office opened criminal case no. 40147. The investigation is currently pending.

Rustam Khaybulayev was arrested on 20/07/2013 at the applicant’s apartment by police officers of the district department of the interior in Buynaksk (ОМВД по г. Буйнакск), taken to police department in Buynaksk (ГОВД г. Буйнакс), then to an undisclosed place. Arrest record drawn up on 21/07/2013 (at 10.00 a.m.). The applicant complains under Article 3 of the Convention that he was ill-treated by the law-enforcement officers and the inquiries into his allegations of ill-treatment were ineffective.

Temirkan Ashabokov and Artur Tanov were arrested on 13/02/2012 at 1.30 p.m. on the road between Nalchik and Baksan by officers of the anti-extremism centre (Центр “Э” ГУ МВД России по СКФО), taken to an undisclosed location. No information about arrest records. Temirkan Ashabokov was released. Artur Tanov was taken to IVS then SIZO on 15/02/2012. The applicants complain under Article 3 of the Convention that they were ill-treated by the law-enforcement officers and the inquiries into their allegations of ill-treatment were ineffective.

On 13 October 2001 a group of armed servicemen arrested Mr Ayub Bakhayev on a street in Argun and took him away. On 20 January 2002 the Argun inter-district prosecutor’s office opened criminal case no. 78009. The investigation is still pending.

On 15 March 2006 a group of armed servicemen arrested Ms Tumisha Sadykova at a car wash station in Grozny and took her away in UAZ (“таблетка”) vehicle. On 30 September 2006 the Leninskiy district prosecutor’s office in Grozny opened criminal case no. 50176. The investigation is still pending.

On 5 April 2003 a group of armed servicemen arrested Mr Alikhan Mazhiyev in a forest next to Ulus-Kert, Chechnya, and took him away. On 29 July 2003 (in the documents submitted the date was also referred to as 26 July 2003) the Vedeno district prosecutor’s office opened criminal case no. 24058. The investigation is still pending.

On 19 January 2000 a group of armed servicemen arrested Mr Said-Emin Ocherkhadzhiyev on a street in Grozny and took him away in an APC. On 19 June 2001 the Grozny town prosecutor’s office opened criminal case no. 17073. The investigation is still pending.

On 14 August 2002 a group of armed servicemen arrested Mr Sharudi Obrugov on a street in Argun and took him away to an unknown destination. On 1 October 2002 the Argun town prosecutor’s office opened criminal case no. 78094. The investigation is still pending.

On 20 December 2000 (in the documents submitted the date was also referred to as 20 February 2001) Mr Rizvan Bashayev left his sister’s home in Grozny and never returned. On 31 October 2005 the Zavodskoy district prosecutor’s office in Grozny opened criminal case no. 41209. The investigation is still pending.

On 9 December 2003 a group of armed servicemen arrested Mr Magomed Dadulagov at a market in Nazran, Ingushetia, and took him away in an UAZ (“таблетка”) vehicle without registration numbers. On 31 December 2003 the Nazran town prosecutor’s office in Ingushetia opened criminal case no. 03560091. The investigation is still pending.