Statistics on murders and abductions, end of April - May 2008

           In April-May of the current year in the Chechen Republic the situation pertaining human rights has not undergone any positive changes. Only during this period of time several burials of citizens were revealed in the republic. These people had become victims of extrajudicial executions in different years.

The situation in the mountain and foothill part of the republic also raises concern. The number of clashes and attacks on militaries and local law enforcers accomplished by militants has abruptly increased both in the Chechen Republic and in the neighboring Ingushetia.

Simultaneously with it, the so-called "address cleaning up operations" and "special operations" proceed in the republic. Thus, employees of power departments participating in these "actions", as a rule, do not introduce themselves and do not explain the reasons of detention of this or that person. Some of the detainees are released after interrogations, frequently, with application of "measures of physical influence". But it happens only in those rare cases, when a person has not "broken" after tortures and mockeries, and managed to convince interrogators in their innocence.

According to the information, received by the Information center for CNO and published in our information releases, during the period of end of April and over May of 2008, in the territory of the Chechen Republic:

           10 persons (majority of them are employees of law enforcement bodies) were killed and disappeared under various circumstances.

During the same period of time in various districts of the Chechen Republic several places of mass burial of citizens, in which:

15 skeletons, remains of people were revealed

8 persons, (among which three employees of militia and a woman) are killed in the neighboring Ingushetia.

1 woman became a victim to abduction in the territory of the Chechen Republic.

21 persons were detained during the same period of time in various districts of the Chechen Republic on suspicion in fulfillment of various crimes. Some of them were later released.

About 10 sorties and attacks of militants on employees of various power departments were accomplished in the Chechen Republic.

15 similar acts are registered in Ingushetia.

Information center for CNO