Who has been issued a licence to kill?
Some questions to the President of the Russian Federation, the Speaker of Parliament, the heads of FSB [Federal Security Service], MIA and the Prosecutor General regarding the situation in the Northern Caucuses.
1 On 11 August 2009 in a Grozny suburb the bodies were discovered of human rights defenders Zarema Sadulayeva and Alik Dzhabrailov who had been abducted from their office the previous day, On 15 July this year Natalya Estemirova who worked for Memorial was abducted and murdered.
Do these killings indicate that a coordinated operation has begun in Chechnya aimed at killing human rights defenders? Are there plans to merge the criminal investigations launched into one case? Are there plans to hand the investigations into these criminal cases from the Investigative Committee under the Prosecutor of the Southern Federal District to the Investigative Committee under the Prosecutor General’s Office? Why were investigative officers and crime specialists from Moscow not sent to Chechnya and Ingushetia for the investigation into the murder of Natalya Estemirova as is normally the case when there are high-profile hired killings?
2. On 28 July 2009 an attempt was made in Moscow on the life of Isa Yamadayev. Before that, in autumn 2008 his brother, former State Duma Deputy Ruslan (Khalid) Yamadayev was murdered in the centre of Moscow, and in March 2009 there was an attempt in Dubai on the life of the former commander of the “Vostok” [“East”] Batallion Sulim Yamadayev.
Have these criminal investigations been merged into one case? Is it known who ordered these crimes? Are the Russian law enforcement agencies working with the police of the United Arab Emirates which arrested suspects?
3. In January 2009 in Moscow officers from Chechen enforcement structures fired at a coach wounding the driver who had to be hospitalized. Those carrying out the attack were detained and a criminal investigation initiated.
What was the fate of the investigation into this crime? Is it true that those arrested have already been released?
If those arrested have been released, then on whose orders and on what grounds?
4. In January 2008 in the centre of Moscow, the abduction took place of Movsar (Ruslan) Atlangeriev, a well-known criminal boss (“avtoritet”), who has on a number of occasions carried out special tasks for the leadership of the FSB (including abroad).
At what stage is this criminal investigation? Is it true that the car with the abducted man in the boot was stopped on the way to Chechnya by police officers, however let through on the instructions of one of the Deputy Ministers of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation?
5. Over recent times in Chechnya there has been a series of killings of women, and also people involved in folk medicine and fortune telling.
At what stage are the investigations into these crimes, and have they been merged into one case? Has anybody been detained on suspicion of involvement in these serial killings?
6. In Vienna the criminal investigation is ending into the murder of a former guard of the President of Chechnya Israilov in January this year.
How is the Russian Federation taking part in this investigation?
7. Do the facts lists above, as well as other murders and abductions indicate that the President of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov has total control over the situation in the republic?
“Novaya gazeta”, following a whole number of international human rights and charitable organizations has taken the decision to suspend the work of their journalists in covering events in Chechnya.
Novaya gazeta
«Новая газета»
12.08.2009