16 October 2018, 08:54
Ingush authorities doubt kidnapping of rights defender in Magas
The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Ingushetia has failed to find any confirmation of the kidnapping and beating of Oleg Kozlovsky, an employee of the Amnesty International (AI), while the head of Ingushetia, Yunus-Bek Evkurov, called this message a provocation. The kidnappers acted openly and with the connivance of the authorities, the rights defenders Denis Krivosheev and Igor Kalyapin believe.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the AI had stated the kidnapping and beating of its employee Oleg Kozlovsky, who arrived in Magas to observe the action against the change of the border with Chechnya.
Mr Evkurov has doubted Kozlovsky's statement, stating that the rights defender publicized the incident only a week later.
Igor Kalyapin, the head of the Committee Against Torture (CAT), is sure that the kidnappers are linked with power structures.
"Similar things have happened in Ingushetia long ago; once, employees of the HRC 'Memorial' were taken out of the hotel into the field and threatened and beaten there," the "Rosbalt" quoted Mr Kalyapin as saying.
The rights defender Oleg Orlov and journalists were kidnapped and beaten up on November 23, 2007, in Nazran before a protest action, the reason for which was the death of a boy during a special operation in the village of Chemulga, Sunzha District of Ingushetia.
Denis Krivosheev, the AI's Deputy Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, believes that the kidnapping of Oleg Kozlovsky was an attempt to intimidate other rights defenders and journalists working in Ingushetia against the background of protests.
This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on October 15, 2018 at 08:45 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.
