ICPO: Budanov was not involved in kidnappings of Chechen residents

The Investigatory Committee at the Prosecutor's Office (ICPO) of the Russian Federation has stated that involvement of former Russian Army colonel Yuri Budanov in disappearances of residents of Chechnya in 2000 was not confirmed. Budanov has evidenced that he could not physically be present at the block-post, where a group of local residents had disappeared without any traces.

The ICPO reports that Yuri Budanov was twice interrogated as a suspect with his advocate present. "Yuri Budanov's evidences are confirmed by the materials of the criminal case," runs the statement of the ICPO.

An ICPO source has also noted that during several months of investigation Budanov's whereabouts were unknown; but a recognizance not to leave was chosen as his freedom restriction measure. Therefore, he acquired the status of a suspect.

The "Interfax" reports with reference to the ICPO that later the inspector passed a statement to cancel the former colonel's freedom restriction measure; and now charges were presented to him. Currently, Mr Budanov is not a suspect.

People in Chechnya have already reacted to the ICPO's statement. Chechen human rights activist Imran Ezhiev has accused inspectors of unwillingness to solve the crime, and Budanov - of a lie. "He'll surely insist on his innocence. At the trial on Kungaeva's murder case he also denied that he had killed her," Mr Ezhiev said to "Gazeta.Ru".

Yuri Budanov said in his comments on the information about his involvement in kidnapping residents of Chechnya that he had made nothing illegal in Chechnya, except for what he had been punished. In his interview to "Komsomolskaya Pravda" published on June 9 the former colonel has stated that "he was not going to respond for all the misfortunes of the Chechen nation."

"Yuri Budanov interrogated on suspicion of murdering Chechen residents." "Judge Bukreev's defence claims trial protraction," "Chechnya residents show a mass burial where Budanov's regiment was deployed."