Ombudsperson withdraws from inquiry into extrajudicial executions in Chechnya

Tatiana Moskalkova, the Russian ombudsperson, has failed to react to the investigation conducted by the "Novaya Gazeta" newspaper into the replacement of Chechen residents from the so-called "execution list" by their brothers so as not to confront Ramzan Kadyrov, says Svetlana Gannushkina, the chair of the "Civil Assistance"* Committee.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in October 2017 the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial"* found out that Chechen law enforcers brought to the meeting with Tatiana Moskalkova not Makhma Muskiev and Shamkhan Yusupov from the "execution list", but their brothers.

A year has passed since the moment of publication about Moskalkova's deception in Chechnya, which means that there will be no reaction, and the official assessment will not be revised, Svetlana Gannushkina told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

"She can do nothing, because she knows that she will receive no support from above. Moskalkova understands very well what is happening in Chechnya; and she does what she can," Ms Gannushkina has noted, forecasting that Moskalkova won't react to the new investigation by "Novaya Gazeta" about the detention by Chechen law enforcers of 108 residents, some of whom fell victim to extrajudicial killings.

"She (Moskalkova) can't confront Ramzan Kadyrov, otherwise she'll lose all her influence in Chechnya [...] Chechnya is a closed territory, including for her. In rare cases, she can do something. If she stands between Chechnya and the Kremlin, she'll lose her post," Ms Gannushkina has suggested.

* the organization is recognized in the Russian Federation as a foreign agent

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on February 18, 2021 at 01:33 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.