Week in the Caucasus: review of main events of April 5-11

Russian federal and regional authorities plan to react as toughly as possible to terror acts in Moscow, while suicide bombers continue their self-destructive actions; ECtHR passes new decisions on kidnapping cases, however, disappearances of locals continue in Chechnya, - look up these and other events in the review of the week of April 5-11, 2010, in Caucasian regions prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".

Explosions in Moscow metro: versions and investigation

It became known last week that the explosion in the Lubyanka metro station on March 29 was committed by Maryam Sharipova, a native of Dagestan. According to the Russian National Antiterrorist Committee (NAC), Sharipova was the wife of Magomedali Vagabov, one of the leaders of armed underground acting in the territory of Dagestan. Maryam's brothers - Anvar and Ilyas - are in search.

Law enforcement bodies believe that Ilyas was the organizer of the attack on the "Russia's Post" car in March this year; while Anvar is suspect of preparing the recent Moscow explosions. Copies of his photo were spread among all the law enforcement units. However, Anvar Sharipov stated his non-involvement in terror acts. Let us note here that earlier Ilyas Sharipov had addressed the new President of Dagestan Magomedsalam Magomedov asking to defend him from persecutions by power agents.

Rasul Magomedov, Maryam Sharipova's father, a teacher at the Balakhanin secondary school, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that he recognized his daughter by the photos placed in the Internet. "I'm sure by 100 percent; my wife also recognized her." He is at a loss how his daughter, who had disappeared several days before the terror act, could appear in Moscow. According to his story, she did not support any extremism ideas; she had two higher educations and was co-author of scientific works.

Meanwhile, employees of the Investigatory Committee at the Prosecutor's Office (ICPO) of the Russian Federation made searches, under defence of special troop fighters, of residence places of the supposed suicide-bombers. Material evidences were found in native villages of Maryam Sharipova and Janet Abdurakhmanova (Abdulayeva), which confirm "participation and presence of bandit formations in these villages," as reported by Alexander Bastrykin, head of the ICPO.

At the same time, the Russian State Duma started drafting a bill assuming compensation of damage to terror act victims. In particular, a bill is in process, according to which terrorists' property will be confiscated in favour of victims.

Besides, because of appearance in the Internet of a video clip, in which Dokku Umarov, leader of North-Caucasian militants, took responsibility for the Moscow terror acts, Robert Shlegel, a Deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation and a member of the "Edinaya Rossiya" (United Russia) Party, proposed a draft amendment to the law on mass media, prohibiting any quoting of terrorist's statements.

After March 6, the above video clip is no longer available at the on YouTube resource. According to Alla Zabrovskaya, PR Director of Google Russia, it might mean that it was marked by moderators and deleted.

Even tougher reaction in reply to terror acts in Moscow arrived from regional authorities. Thus, in Chechnya they plan to make use of terrorists' methods. On April 7, Mayor of Grozny Muslim Khuchiev publicly promised to treat militants' parents in the way their kids did with peaceful residents.

In its turn, the Human Rights Centre "Memorial" has stated that this sort of statements made by republic's officials are inadmissible. The Centre draws attention of Russian and international public, and authorities of the Russian Federation to inadmissibility of using any methods of state terror and plans to send a request to the bodies of federal power to this end.

Suicide bombers continue shaking Caucasus with their explosions

On April 5, two explosions were triggered in the city of Karabulak, Ingushetia. The first one, committed by a terrorist-suicide bomber, killed two law enforcers; two more persons were wounded and hospitalized. The suicide bomber blew him up after militiamen on duty at the entrance to the GOVD (Chief Interior Divisions) asked him to show his documents.

The second bomb was triggered remotely; it was planted in a car parked at the GOVD building. The explosion wounded an employee of the prosecutor's office. Surnames of the lost militiamen - Nalgiev and Kostoev.

In the morning on April 9, a special operation to neutralize militants was launched in a suburb of Ekazhevo village, Nazran District of Ingushetia. During the operation, three power agents were wounded. Then, a female terrorist suicide bomber blew her up, having first fatally wounded a militiaman from her pistol.

Later the FSB reported that the militants liquidated in the course of the special operation were identified; both are believed to be involved in organizing and committing the explosion of the Karabulak GOVD on April 5.

Kidnappings continue in Chechnya

On April 8, the Inter-Regional Committee Against Torture succeeded in release of Islam Umarpashaev who was kidnapped on December 11, 2009, from his own house by unknown armed persons in camouflage.

The statement of the Committee runs that within three months after Umarpashaev's disappearance and till the last moment Russian state officials kept asserting that they "were unable" to establish the whereabouts of the kidnapped person.

However, already on April 9 it became known that a week earlier, on April 2, two residents of the Chechen city of Shali - Tair Deshniev and Bakar Deshiev - were captured and taken away into unknown location by unidentified power agents.

"In a private house located in the Naberezhnaya Street, Tair Deshniev (or Deshnyaev), son of the owner of this household, and their neighbour Bakar Deshiev who came to visit them, were captured. It is at least asserted by the latter's relatives," said a source of the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent who preferred not to disclose himself and his organization.

Under the data of the source, Bakar Deshiev was a university student in Egypt; he recently returned to Chechnya to visit his sick father. At kidnapping, Tair and Bakar were severely beaten by the attackers.

Strasbourg Court passes decisions on Russia and Azerbaijan

On April 8, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) passed its decisions on two cases related to kidnapping and possible murder of Chechnya residents. In both cases, Russia's authorities were found responsible for these crimes.

On the complaint "Abaeva et al versus Russia" the ECtHR has decided that Russian authorities shall pay 60,000 euros of moral compensation to relatives of Magomed-Ali Abaev and Anvar Shaipov, kidnapped on October 13, 2000. Both were illegally detained by Russian power agents and then disappeared.

The same sum shall be paid by the Russian government to Aslan Sadulayev's mother, since, in the opinion of ECtHR judges, authorities of the Russian Federation are responsible for his kidnapping and possible murder. On December 9, 2002, Aslan Sadulayev disappeared after he had been detained by militaries. Let us note here that in 2003 the acting head of Martan-Chu village issued a certificate to Sadulayev's mother that Aslan had not taken part in any warfare.

Besides, the European Court found eligible two groups of complaints from the victims of the terror act in the Dubrovka Theatrical Centre, and combined two claims into one process. Both complaints were lodged in 2004. The point is in breaking the rights to life, fair trial, efficient remedies and legitimacy of power agents' actions in preventing a terror act. The victims claim compensation for their breached rights.

Another decision of the European Court has to do with violations at 2005 parliamentary elections. The ECtHR has found a violation against Namet Aliev, 44, a citizen of Azerbaijan, of Article 3 of Protocol No. 1 to the European Convention on Human Rights (the right to free election) and obliged the Azerbaijani state to pay 7500 euros to the applicant as moral compensation.