News alert: Magomed Khazbiev was shot at in Grozny

Today, in Grozny, at about 1:00 p.m., an attempt was committed on the Ingush opposition leader Magomed Khazbiev, his advocate Khedi Ibrieva, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

According to her story, the incident occurred, when Khazbiev went for a walk in the hospital yard in Grozny. Magomed Khazbiev was not injured, said Khedi Ibrieva.

Later Khazbiev himself explained in his conversation with the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that the attempt occurred, when he drove in his car out of the hospital for lunch. The incident took place in Tasuev   Street, next to City Hospital No. 4.

"As soon as I left the gate, a silver Priora car drove close to me; and a passenger in it asked me with a gesture to drop my window. Once I did it, they opened fire at me," said Magomed Khazbiev.

According to his version, the fire was delivered both on him and on his car. The opposition activist pressed himself closely to the seat and remained safe. Now, the scene of the attack, according to Khazbiev, is studied by power agents.

As reported by Khazbiev and his advocate, one day before the attempt, when the Ingush opposition leader was already in hospital in Chechnya, an investigator from Ingushetia was not allowed to meet him. This was preceded by the appearance on the YouTube of Khazbiev's video message, in which he sharply criticized the head of Ingushetia Yunus-Bek Evkurov.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on January 25 the Ingush Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) reported that Magomed Khazbiev and his family members were suspected of car hijacking and firearm storage. Khazbiev treated the suspicions voiced out by the MIA as politically-motivated persecution.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.