Brother of Rustam Aushev, kidnapped in Mineralnye Vody, detained in Ingushetia, rights defenders reports

On June 29, during the special operation in Nazran, three local residents were detained, including 26-year-old Akhmedkhan Aushev, the brother of Rustam Aushev, kidnapped on February 17 in the city of Mineralnye Vody. This was reported by Human Rights Centre "Memorial".

Let us remind you that on June 30, power agents reported on detention of three militants. In the morning of June 29, operative and search measures were carried out in the municipal district of Nasyr-Kort of the city of Nazran. According to the National Antiterrorist Committee (NAC), in the houses of suspected militants, an improvised explosive device (IED) and explosive substance were found and seized.

On July 2, the NAC's press service explained that as a result of special operation, Akhmedkhan Aushev, the leader of the "Nazran" armed grouping, his personal driver Bashir Mislaurov, and Zurab Didigov, who provided militants with means of communications.

Family members of Akhmedkhan Aushev, Zurab Didigov, and Bashir Mislaurov filed appeals to the office of the Human Rights Centre "Memorial" in Nazran to report on unlawful detention of their relatives.

"Power agents fail to introduce themselves or present any documents"

In her appeal, Pyatimat Ausheva, the mother of Akhmedkhan Aushev, reported on the details of the search of their house and detention of her son.

"Early in the morning, the house of the Aushev family was blocked by more than 50 armed law enforcement agents. They drove to the house in armoured transport vehicles, armoured Ural and Gazel cars. About 30 persons broke into the yard. They failed to introduce themselves and to present any documents. They brought all family members outside the house. According to Pyatimat Ausheva, law enforcement agents, who conducted the search, behaved rudely and insulted the owners of the house. The law enforcement agents ignored the claim of the house's owners to invite the district police inspector and witnesses," stated the press release of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" of July 2, received at the address of the "Caucasian Knot" edition office.

According to Pyatimat Ausheva, power agents found nothing illegal. Then, according to the woman, law enforcement agents entered the house again and brought out a bucket with explosives.

"After the search, the law enforcement agents brought Akhmedkhan Aushev into the house and took his fingerprints. At about 1:00 p.m., they took him with them, without informing his relatives, where he would be brought. They also took the Akhmedkhan's passport and mobile phone and seized a laptop, belonging to one of the Akhmedkhan's sisters-in-law," the press release of the HRC "Memorial" reports.

Only on July 2, the relatives learned the Akhmedkhan's whereabouts from the media. On the same day, they concluded an agreement with a lawyer for his defence. According to Pyatimat Ausheva, Akhmedkhan Aushev was never involved in anything illegal; he works at private construction projects. Pyatimat believes that the explosives, allegedly found in their house, were planted by power agents to detain Akhmedkhan.

According to the HRC "Memorial", the detained Akhmedkhan Aushev was the brother of Rustam Aushev, a resident of Ingushetia. Rustam Aushev, the 23-year-old resident of Nazran, disappeared in the city of Mineralnye Vody at the railway station. His lawyer Magomed Gandaur-Egi stated that Aushev was kidnapped by officers of the Ingushetian FSB and could be kept in Magas. The FSB officers denied their involvement in kidnapping of Aushev. In April, a criminal case was instituted on the fact of the kidnapping of Rustam Aushev.

Fearing that Akmedkhan could disappear or that a criminal case could be fabricated against him, Pyatimat Ausheva appealed to human rights organizations. She asks for help to find her son and protect his rights.

"Several dozen men in masks broke into house"

On June 29, at about the same time, when a search in the house of the Aushev family was started, power agents blocked the house of the Didigov family. This was stated by the press release of the HRC "Memorial". On June 30, Zurab Didigov, the father of one of the detainees, stated that during two days, the family members could not get any information on the whereabouts of their relative. Besides, according to Alikhan Didigov, the search in his house was conducted with violations and without witnesses.

"After the search, power agents seized five mobile phones and a house register. Denis Yuryevich Troyan, Senior Investigator of the Department of the Russian FSB in the Republic of Ingushetia, said they detained Zurab Didigov and that he would be brought to the Department of the Russian FSB in the Republic of Ingushetia," reports the statement of human rights defenders.

Several hours later, according to human rights defenders, the relatives of Zurab Didigov came to the building of the Department of the Russian FSB in the Republic of Ingushetia in the city of Magas to speak to Denis Trojan and to learn the fate of their son. The investigator came out to them and said that Zurab Didigov was not being kept at the Department, since he was detained at the request of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, and he was brought there.

The Didigov family also denies any involvement of their son in any illegal actions and asks human rights organizations to help find Zurab and protect his rights.

According to the relatives of Zurab Didigov, till present, they have received no official notification on the whereabouts of Zurab and charges, filed against him. According to unofficial information, received by the relatives, Zurab Didigov was brought to the MIA's Division of the Prigorodny District of the Russian MIA in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania to the village of Oktyabrskoe. However, according to the relatives, the lawyer, who was invited by the Didigov family to protect the Zurab's interests, was not allowed entering the police station. He is still not aware of his client's whereabouts.

Mother of Bashir Mislaurov met Yunus-Bek Evkurov

In her appeal, Madash Mislaurova, the mother of Bashir Mislaurov, reported that power agents also broke into their house ownership, failing to introduce themselves or to present their documents. According to the woman, after the initial examination, which they carried out, using the wife of one of her sons as a human shield, power agents brought all family members outside the house.

"They forbade us to call anywhere. Having specified, in which room Bashir lived, power agents returned to the house. In 20 minutes after that, they brought Bashir and his brother into the house. The power agents presented to the brothers nine rounds, a Makarov pistol and a package with a substance, resembling sand, found under the Bashir's bed. Madash Mislaurova claims that at the initial examination of the premises, nothing like that was found under the bed of her son. The woman believes that all those things were planted to them by power agents," states the press release of the HRC "Memorial".

According to the relatives, upon completing the search, power agents took with them Bashir Mislaurov without saying where he would be brought. Till present, his relatives are not aware of his whereabouts.

On June 30, according to the HRC "Memorial", the mother of Bashir Mislaurov met Yunus-Bek Evkurov, the head of Ingushetia, who promised that no violence would be applied against her son. The Mislaurov family concluded an agreement with a lawyer; however, he still could not meet his client.