ICRF to check actions of NKVD agents during deportation of Chechens

The Investigating Department for Chechnya of the Investigating Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF) will check the actions of the agents of the Soviet NKVD (the then Interior Ministry) for their involvement in crimes against humanity in the case of the massacre of civilians committed in February 1944 in the village of Khaibakh, Lev Ponomaryov, the leader of the movement "For Human Rights", said on July 21.

The operation "Chechevitsa" (Lentils), during which in fact all the Chechens and Ingushes were deported to Central Asia and Kazakhstan from the territory of the then Chechen-Ingush ASSR (Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic), was held from February 23 to March 9, 1944. In late 1980s, a broad resonance was given to the operation conducted in 1944 in the highland village of Khaibakh. On February 23, a heavy snow occurred in the aul (village); road was blocked; and villagers could not come down from the mountains and disrupted the deportation schedule. Then, Mikhail Gvishiani, a Third Rank State Security Commissar, ordered to drive the villagers, about 200 people, or according to other sources – 600-700 people, into the collective farm stables and burn them down. Those who tried to escape were shot dead from submachine guns. Residents of the surrounding hamlets were also shot dead.

On June 17, the movement "For Human Rights" addressed the ICRF asking to check the events for the crime against humanity, say the documents posted on Lev Ponomaryov's page on the Facebook.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the film "Ordered to Forget", which narrates the story about the events in Khaibakh, was forbidden for screening in the territory of Russia.