07 February 2020, 13:37
Human rights defenders note delay in investigation into Katyr-Yurt bombing
An investigation into a case on bombing of the village of Katyr-Yurt in 2000 is intentionally delayed, while access to the information is limited, note participants of a memorial evening dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the events in Katyr-Yurt.
On February 6, the memorial evening was held at a building of the "International Memorial" in Moscow.
On February 4, 2000, a large group of members of the armed underground entered the village of Katyr-Yurt. Residents were not notified of the impending military operation, which the Russian authorities started by conducting bombing and missiles strikes. In its report, the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" states that according to various estimates, from several dozen to over 100 civilians were killed in Katyr-Yurt as a result of the above military operation.
Alexander Cherkasov, the chairman of the HRC "Memorial", has noted that there is still no fair trial in the cases on the events of February 2000 and similar cases on murders and disappearances of Chechen natives. "We have quite a lot of experience in various kinds of cases. They institute a criminal case and suspend it two months later. Then, after an appeal of interested persons, they resume it again and suspend it again. If investigators succeed in identifying an organizer or executor of a particular murder, then it becomes clear very quickly that the investigation is turning to cover up a criminal," said Alexander Cherkasov. According to him, for twenty years, out of several thousand cases, only four had been investigated and brought to verdicts.
This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on February 7, 2020 at 07:57 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.
Author: Semyon Charny Source: CK correspondent
