Kidnapped Ingush resident Chitigov is in hospital

Earlier kidnapped Zelimkhan Chitigov, 20, a resident of Ingushetia, was found by his relatives in the building of Karabulak OVD severely beaten. The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent learnt about it from his mother Zuhra Chitigova.

According to her version, at present Zelimkhan in grave condition is at the Ingush Republic's Clinical Hospital, in a special isolation ward for detainees, under guard of law enforcers.

Let us remind you that Zelimkhan Chitigov, an invalid from childhood, was kidnapped on April 27 from the territory of the "Promzhilbaza" refugees' settlement, where he lives with his family as a forced migrant from Chechnya.

On April 29, power agents searched the Chitigovs' residence. Zukhra Chitigova asserts that they planted a grenade, having promised that her son will be shown by local TV but saying nothing about his whereabouts.

Only on April 30 his relatives learnt that he was kept at the Karabulak OVD (Interior Division). On the following day, May 1, Chitigov was brought to the court. Zukhra knows nothing about charges against him or the subject of the trial. She said that she saw her son in the courtroom for the first time after kidnapping.

"He could hardly keep on his feet. It was obvious that he had been beaten; there were traces of execution on his face. Zelimkhan felt bad right there, in our presence; he lost consciousness. The advocate called an ambulance, although law enforcers objected for a long time to it. My son was brought to hospital in critical condition," said Zukhra Chitigova.

According to her story, Zelimkhan was violently tortured and beaten after kidnapping. "His legs have traces of electric current torture, his kidneys are damaged by beatings, his ear membrane got broken and he has plural head traumas," she said.

The incident with Chitigov caused public indignation. The Ingush human rights activist Magomed Mutsolgov, a member of the Board of Experts under the office of the Russian Ombudsman and head of the human rights organization "Mashr", where Zukhra Chitigova sought defence for her son, believes that "immediate forensic-medical examination' is required, and criminal responsibility for the power agents, "who had beaten and tortured Chitigov."

"The incident with Chitigov reminds me of the case with Magomed Evloev, assassinated owner of the website "Ingushetia.Org", when official structures kidnap, beat and torture, and then throw out a half-dead victim. After the situation with Chitigov became known (it was reported to President of Ingushetia Yunus-Bek-Evkurov, Chairman of the Security Council and other officials), he made a call to his relatives, but by his voice it was clear that it was hard for him to speak; and on the following day he was hospitalized fainted. Should in this case power agents remain unpunished for their crimes, it'll obviously mean that the authorities of all levels are sheltering their colleagues-criminals in shoulder straps," Magomed Mutsolgov said to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

The human rights activist notes that after the incidents like the one with Chitigov, "nobody should be surprised that the population trust neither authorities nor power agents." He believes that the political situation in Ingushetia cannot be changed for the better, unless "everyone without exception" becomes equal before the law.

Timur Akiev, head of the office of the Human Rights Centre "Memorial" in Ingushetia, where the Chitigovs had also addressed, believes that the illegal methods used by power agents cannot improve the situation in the republic.

"Detainees cannot be found for several days; as a rule, they are beaten. No statements can justify illegal militiamen's actions. It's quite abnormal, when a detainee loses his consciousness right in the courtroom, from where he is brought to hospital. There, he is diagnosed: 'plural bruises of soft tissues and traces of electric burns'," said Akiev.

Local residents report another case of kidnapping and use of tortures by power agents, namely, the incident with Abuyazit Gardanov, 24, a resident of Karabulak. Like Chitigov, he was kidnapped from his own house and brought to some unknown place by power agents, one of whom presented himself as Idris Vedzizhev, head of the criminal investigation of the Karabulak GOVD (City Interior Division).

Eyewitnesses report that after Abuyazit Gardanov went out, some time after kidnapping, from the Karabulak GOVD building, he was put into a car by Idris Vedzizhev and taken away in direction of the city of Nazran.

As reported by one of Abuyazit's relatives, on April 29 the Gardanovs' house was visited by power agents, who brought two young men with them, who looked disfigured by beatings. According to the relative, they were earlier kidnapped Zelimkhan Chitigov and Abuyazit Gardanov. They were brought to check whether Chitigov would recognize Gardanovs' house. On that moment relatives of Abuyazit Gardanov knew nothing about his fate.

In both incidents - with Chitigov and Gardanov - eyewitnesses defined the belonging of kidnappers to power agencies by their service armoured machines (militarized Ural trucks, UAZ and Gazel minivans), special uniform, service dogs and firearms, as well as by their strength, which may reach up to 200-300 armed soldiers.

Local residents note that in the several last weeks the number of power agents' illegal actions has went up; they think that this could be due to latest promises of the authorities proclaimed after the March 29 explosions in Moscow metro to toughen the war on terror in Northern Caucasus and persecute also those who just "cook soup for militants."

Madina Khadzieva, press secretary of the Russian MIA for Ingushetia, has confirmed to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent the fact of Chitigov's and Gardanov's detention by the republic's law enforcers, having refused to name the department in charge of the operation and the place where Chitigov and Gardanov were kept.

To the question of what the charges were against Chitigov and Gardanov, Ms Khadzieva answered: "The have many articles. They are accused of preparing terror acts."