Villagers demand to expel family members of suspected militant from Chechnya

On December 21, in the village of Prigorodnoye in the Grozny District of Chechnya, local residents held a gathering. They demanded to evict from their village family members of Zelimkhan Bakharchiev, located in Syria. According to the Chechen law enforcement authorities, the man organized attacks on policemen in Grozny on December 17 and 18.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in the evening on December 17, the counterterrorist operation (CTO) regime was introduced in Grozny. Power agents reported that four militants had been killed in a shootout, and two others were hospitalized with gunshot wounds. In the afternoon on December 18, they blocked a private house in an outskirt of Grozny. According to power agents, three militants were killed there, and two others were detained. Thus, in total, during two days, seven militants were killed, and four others were detained, three of them were wounded. Four policemen were also killed; and one policeman was wounded. Islamic State, banned in Russia by court and recognized as a terrorist organization, has taken credit for the attacks.  

The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told by an official from the Chechen Spiritual Administration of Muslims (SAM) that the gathering in the village of Prigorodnoye was attended by Magomed Khiytanaev, the assistant to the Chechen leader and the Kadi of Grozny, religious figures of Chechnya, officials from the Chechen Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), and family members of killed policemen.

"The villagers have said they do not want those people to stay living in one village with them. Besides, family members of the policemen killed by militants also come to the gathering, and they declared blood feud against that family," said an official from the Chechen SAM.

The gathering might be organized by the authorities to explain possible illegal actions against family members of militants by indignation of villagers, believes a leader of a local NGO.

"It is clear that the gathering of residents of the village of Prigorodnoye was organized by the authorities in order to somehow legitimize illegal and unlawful actions. Now, the expulsion from the republic of Zelimkhan   Bakharchiev's family members will be explained by indignation of the villagers. And in case if some houses are set on fire, like it was in December 2014, after a militant attack on Grozny, it can also be explained by anger of people," said the leader of a local NGO.

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