Relatives of persons, killed in Malgobek District, ask the country's leaders to organize investigation into death of young people

Relatives of Abdurakhman Kurskiev, Ilez Merzhoev, and Ibragim Bekbuzarov, who were killed in the Malgobek District of Ingushetia, appealed to the Russian President and Prime Minister with a request to send to the republic a competent commission, composed of representatives of human rights organizations, to conduct open investigation into all such cases.

The "Caucasian Knot" reported that on August 19, in Malgobek, during the funeral of the district police inspector, who perished on the previous day, a suicide bomber exploded himself. The death toll was eight persons, including the suicide bomber. 15 persons were injured. The leader of Ingushetia accused Dokku Umarov of organizing the terror act in Sagopshi. In the morning of August 28, in Malgobek and in the part of the Malgobek District, a counter-terrorist operation (CTO) regime was introduced. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), during a special operation, four suspected members of illegal armed formations (IAFs) were killed, and two more were detained. It was also reported that during the armed clash, a police officer was wounded, and he was hospitalized in serious condition.

Abdurakhman Kurskiev, Ilez Merzhoev, and Ibragim Bekbuzarov, who were killed in the Malgobek District, rendered no resistance and carried no weapons. This was stated by the appeal of their relatives, witnesses of the incident, which were published in his blog on the "Caucasian Knot" by Magomed Mutsolgov, the leader of the human rights organization "MASHR".

On October 17, it was reported that Ferdovs Bekbuzarov, Abukar Kurskev, and Alikhan Merzhoev, the relatives of the killed men, appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev, Russian Prime Minister, with the appeal, in which they claimed innocence of their sons and accused power agents of extrajudicial executions and looting.

"Early in the morning, when all people were asleep, our houses were simultaneously surrounded by armoured vehicles and armed 'representatives of the law' in masks. Then, everything was going on in accordance with the same circuit. Without presenting any documents and search warrants, and without the presence of local authorities, district police inspectors, and witnesses, all of us were taken out of our houses into the street, allegedly for passport checks. Then, they took our sons aside and fully searched them for weapons and other prohibited items. At the same time, our houses were also thoroughly searched," reports the appeal, which was also published by Magomed Mutsolgov.

According to the authors of the appeal, the power agents did not find anything illegal in houses and utility premises.

"Under various pretexts, our sons were taken to their house and brutally shelled dead. We were on the street, in the dark, since the power agents did not allow us entering our yards and threatened that if we tried to enter, they would shoot and kill us. When asked why there were no representatives of local authorities, the men in masks answered that they were power and that they were entitled to do whatever they wanted, and if someone did not agree, they would quickly find the way to force him to keep silence. Till 12:00 a.m., we were not aware that our sons were killed," the authors of the appeal state.

"The power agents motivated the killings by the fact that our sons allegedly rendered armed resistance after they were searched and each of them was brought to his own house," the authors of the appeal write and call those actions "an apogee of lawlessness."

"That lawlessness took place almost simultaneously in three different locations. Our children had no possibility and no reason to render any resistance at all; besides, they were under sight of dozens of submachine guns. Moreover, they were thoroughly searched at the very beginning, and all the rest time they were under sight of the power agents' submachine guns. Those power agents not only killed our sons, but they also robbed our houses like a usual gang of criminals: they took away from our houses all money, jewelleries and other valuables," the authors of the appeal state.

The relatives of the killed men also state that they have already appealed to all regional law enforcement agencies and authorities. However, according to the authors of the appeal, the authorities "do not take any measures to establish the real truth of the tragedy and the triumph of justice and the lawfulness in the case."

The meeting of the relatives with Yunus-Bek Evkurov, the leader of Ingushetia, also did not lead to positive results. According to the authors of the appeal, the leader of the republic, "failed to present any evidence of at least indirect guilt of our children and in every way tried to shield the power agencies, involved in the murder of our children."

The relatives of the killed men also note that young men had no records of their illegal activities, and, according to the relatives, even local police officers reported on that fact to the leader of the republic.

Yunus-Bek Evkurov: do not listen to statements of relatives of killed and detained persons on non-involvement of their children in crime

At present, no comments of representatives of the federal and republic's authorities in connection with the appeal of the relatives of the killed young men are available.

Earlier, Yunus-Bek Evkurov, the leader of the republic, urged residents of the republic not to succumb to provocations in connection with the appeal of the relatives of the men, killed in the special operation, held on August 28 in the Malgobek District.

"I call on the residents of the Republic of Ingushetia no to succumb to provocations, not to listen to the statements of relatives of killed and detained persons on non-involvement of their children in the crime. And I tell all those persons, who are more or less involved in those and other crimes that they should use the chance that we give them to come and surrender. All parents should know, where their children are, to whom they talk, with whom they are friends, to be further ensure that your child is not being used by strange 'uncles' for their own selfish, personal gain, to the detriment of our people," Yunus-Bek Evkurov, the leader of Ingushetia, wrote in his blog at the "Live Journal", commenting on the special operation, held in the Malgobek District.