Orlov: Northern Caucasus needs united investigatory group

At investigating especially important cases on kidnappings, an issue should be considered on setting up an interdepartmental investigatory group for several republics of Northern Caucasus. This was stated by Oleg Orlov, chairman of the board of the HRC "Memorial", at a press conference in Moscow.

As earlier reported by the "Caucasian Knot", at the press conference "Human Rights in Northern Caucasus. PACE's estimates and reality", held on June 17 in Moscow, Oleg Orlov and his colleagues told about the current situation in Chechnya and other Caucasian republics. They accented kidnappings and crimes, or inactivity of power structures.

Mr Orlov told about the facts covered or handled by the "Memorial" within the last year. "When we have an especially complex kidnapping case of public resonance, the issue should be considered of creating an interdepartmental investigatory group from among inspectors of territorial prosecutor's offices, military prosecutor's offices, operative agents of the FSB and Ministries of Internal Affairs from different republics," he believes.

"Such complex investigatory group could properly address the incident and avoid lack of coordination. But in none of the case that we describe it was done. Neither inspectors nor their bosses wouldn't set up or even try to such an interdepartmental group. I think, it's sabotage," Mr Orlov has noted.

"Let's suppose that a person was detained in Ingushetia and taken away to Chechnya. An inspector in Ingushetia issues an order and asks the Interior Department of the respective Chechen district to undertake certain actions. Then, he waits for an answer for months, and often gets none at all. This is how investigation goes," he said.

According to Oleg Orlov, there are many examples, "when investigation in Chechnya is just imitated." "Frequently the 'Memorial' and other human rights activists have to do the whole work instead of inspectors: proving facts, finding witnesses or the bullet, which wounded or killed the victim," he said.