Eyewitnesses: Arsaev killed in Ingushetia rendered no resistance to power agents

Issa Arsaev, who was shot dead on May 8 by employees of the FSB (Federal Security Bureau of Russia) Department for Ingushetia in Kantyshevo village, Nazran District, was not a militant and rendered no resistance to power agents. Arsaev's relatives and eyewitnesses of the incident told about it to the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial".

The "Caucasian Knot" has already informed that on May 8 the headquarters of the Temporary Armed Grouping reported that members of law enforcement bodies had conducted a special operation aimed at detention and liquidation of participants in illegal armed formations. A militant detected by them rendered resistance to special unit fighters and was shot dead.

On May 12, employees of the HRC "Memorial" had a meeting with Arsaev's relatives. According to their version, on May 8, at about 8:25 a.m., Issa went out of his house intending to go to his work to Nazran. In the Kabardinskaya Street, when Arsaev was approaching a bus stop, armed people in camouflage shouted at him: "Halt!" and opened defeat fire from several directions. As a result, Arsaev received eight bullet wounds and died in place.

Several local residents were eyewitnesses of the incident. As they said, the employees of power agencies had taken their ambush in the Kabardinskaya Street at about 8:00 a.m. They arrived in two armoured troop-carriers (ATC), two dark-blue "Gazelle" minibuses and several UAZ passenger cars. All the vehicles had no license plates.

The people who live in the Kabardinskaya Street saw two power agents coming up to killed Issa. One of them put rubber gloves on his hands, took a muffled pistol from under his belt, made two shots in the air, and then put the pistol near Arsaev's body.

Then, the FSB employees walked around all the neighbouring households and put down passport data of all the residents there. In doing so, they did not name themselves and did not explain the reason of their actions.

Let us note here that the eyewitnesses of Issa Arsaev's murder refused to give official evidences on the case, being afraid for their safety.