20:22, 23 March 2004

Purges in Chechnya's Achkhoy-Martan district

Officers of Russian and local security agencies have been conducting "address purges" in villages of Chechnya's Achkhoy-Martan district since March 20. As reported by locals, such "special operations" were conducted in the villages of Davidenko and Noviy Sharoy. The purges were caused by the murder of Chersi Gatayev, deputy chief of the Achkhoy-Martan district police department, and his driver, Inderbiyev, which was committed by a group of unknown people on a road between the villages of Davidenko and Noviy Sharoy on March 19. Information has also been received on a special operation to find supposed murderers of the policemen in the vicinity of the Samashki village. There have been no information about civilians detained during the purges.

Editors note: See also the article "Police official killed in Chechnya's Achkhoy-Martan district".

Source: Infromation Center of the Council of NGOs