Relatives report on kidnapping of two Chechen residents

On June 18, a group of armed men kidnapped Adlan Galaev, a resident of the village of Yandi of the Achkhoi-Martan District of Chechnya, in the yard of his house and drove him away to some unknown destination. This was reported by Malika Djabrailova, his wife. On the same day, Mairbek Baidulaev, one more resident of the same village, who was in Grozny, was also kidnapped. Till present, both men have not been found.

Malika Djabrailova told staff members of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" that on June 18, 2012, at 11:00 p.m., about 20 armed men in camouflage broke into their yard. According to the woman, there are two houses in the yard: one house is occupied by Adlan with Malika and two minor children, and the other by Zulai Galaeva and Zharadat, the mother and the younger sister of Adlan Galaev.

"Power agents failed to introduce themselves or give any explanation, but asked the mother, where Adlan was. Zulai pointed out to his house. They knocked out the door in it and began to search the house and the yard. They demanded to show weapon," the woman said. She explained that her husband was asleep and did not wake up, even when power agents tried to wake him with blows to his face.

According to her, prior to the incident, Adlan Galaev was visited by Dukvakha Shavkhalov, his neighbour, and after he left the house, the Adlan Galaev's mother noticed on the table a glass bottle with clear liquid. Adlan replied to the mother's questions that Dukvakha brought vodka and insisted that he drank it. "The mother was surprised. All family members knew that Adlan never drank alcoholic beverages. Adlan told his mother that he had promised and drank the content of that bottle," Malika Djabrailova said.

According to the woman, during the search, one of the power agents noticed the bottle and put it in his pocket, trying to do that quickly. "Power agents took Adlan in an unconscious state with them," the wife of the kidnapped man has noted. She has added that power agents said they took him "for clarification".

On the other day, on June 19, the family members of Adlan Galaev filed complaints to the Prosecutor's Office of the Achkhoi-Martan District, the FSB, the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of the Russian Federation in Chechnya, the MIA of the Russian Federation, the Investigatory Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF) in Chechnya, the ICRF, and to the names of the Republic's Ombudsman, the Russian President, and the leader of Chechnya.

According to the wife of the kidnapped man, when they came to the Criminal Investigation Division of the District OVD (Interior Division), Taus Mamakaev, Chief of the Criminal Investigation Division, accused her husband of aiding militants. However, he claimed that he did not know, "who took Adlan."

On June 20, Malika Djabrailova was summoned for questioning to the Criminal Investigation Division. According to the woman, in the presence of the lawyer, hired by the relatives, she was asked about persons, unknown to her, and no questions about the kidnapping were asked.

Zharadat Galaeva, the younger sister of the kidnapped man, was also summoned for questioning. Later, she stated that Taus Mamakaev asked her, to whom she gave her mobile phone. According to him, that phone with another SIM card was allegedly used to communicate with members of illegal armed formations (IAFs). Police officers seized the phone and returned it several days later, saying that they had no claims against Zharadat Galaeva.

After the kidnapping of Adlan Galaev, the family members did not spend the night at home. According to Malika Djabrailova, "witnesses stated that at night, power agents twice entered the house, and they knocked out doors, windows and turned everything in the house upside down."

Malika Djabrailova has added that her husband was detained in 2010. "We managed to reveal his whereabouts in a week. They tortured him and forced him to sign a confession. Adlan was conditionally sentenced to one year under Article 208 (organization of illegal armed formation or participation therein) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. After his release, he went to register at the ROVD (District Interior Division), and policemen did not disturb him," the woman has emphasized.

According to Malika Djabrailova, her husband was seriously ill: he suffered from fibrotic cavernous pulmonary tuberculosis and chronic respiratory failure. "After torture that he suffered in 2010, his health state worsened, and he was undergoing medical treatment. Break in medical treatment can be dangerous to his life," Malika Djabrailova has concluded.

At night, when Adlan Galaev was kidnapped, at dawn, Mairbek Baidulaev, born in 1996, one more resident of the village of Yandi, who at that time was visiting his aunt in Grozny, was kidnapped. According to them, he is studying in 9th form of the Yandi secondary school, and he has successfully passed three exams. This was stated by the press release of the HRC "Memorial", received today at the address of the "Caucasian Knot" edition office.