Illegally detained residents of Avtury village set free

In the evening of February 2, Apti Saltakhanov, Shamil Alimsultanov and Kharon Alimsultanov, Shamil's father, were set free from the territory of the Russian military unit stationed in the buildings of a former poultry farm in the village of Avtury, Chechnya's Shali district. All the three are residents of Avtury. Apti Saltakhanov and Shamil Alimsultanov were arbitrarily detained by Russian servicemen after an armored troop-carrier of federal forces had been blown up in the village of Avtury; the servicemen captured the first young men they came across. Shamil's father followed his son voluntarily. In no more than an hour after the detention, the military tried to deny the fact itself that the young men were taken into custody. However there were witnesses who saw the detainees being conveyed to the territory of the former farm. The activist of the Society for Russian-Chechen Friendship who came to the site of occurrence told the military that all large human rights organizations would be informed about the arbitrary detention in the near future. Being under the locals' pressure, the servicemen set the captured men free in the evening of the same day. No charges were brought against them. Residents of Avtury believe the fact that wide publicity was given to the incident played the key role in the release of Saltakhanov and the Alimsutanov father and son.

Editors note: See also the article "Explosion in Shali district leaves three servicemen dead".