Beating in Erzi Nature Reserve results from demarcation of border between Chechnya and Ingushetia

As a result of the agreement on the new administrative border between Ingushetia and Chechnya in September 2018, the third part of the Erzi Nature Reserve ended up on the territory of Chechnya. After the beating of the employees of the natural park, the work in the Chechen sector is no longer carried out, the administration of the Erzi Nature Reserve reports.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that four employees of the Erzi Nature Reserve filed to the police the complaints about their beating in the Chechen sector of the natural park on May 21. One of the beaten employees was hospitalized with brain concussion, while his colleagues were diagnosed with bruises and hematomas.

The part of the Erzi Nature Reserve ended up on the territory of Chechnya in 2018, as a result of the demarcation of the border between the two republics. The demarcation did not divide the natural park, since it was under federal jurisdiction, the deputy director for protection of the Erzi Nature Reserve told the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent. In total, the Erzi Nature Reserve occupies about 36,000 hectares, including 12 of them now belonging to Chechnya. The employees of the Erzi Nature Reserve entered the territory of Chechnya absolutely legally, the deputy director for protection of the Erzi Nature Reserve emphasized.

According to him, after the attack on the employees of the natural park, their colleagues no longer tried to work in the Chechen sector.

The deputy director for protection of the Erzi Nature Reserve states that the beating of four employees is the first incident of the kind since the demarcation of the border between the republics. “There were no problems earlier. We worked [on the territory of Chechnya] in peace,” the officials of the Erzi Nature Reserve said.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on May 28, 2021 at 04:39 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.