Relatives of Chilaev kidnapped in Chechnya notified on his death

The relatives of Bulat Chilaev, employee of the "Civil Assistance" committee for assistance to refugees kidnapped in Chechnya on April 9 by soldiers of unknown units, have been notified that Bulat and Aslan Israilov, resident of Grozny who disappeared simultaneously with him, were killed on the day of "disappearance," reports Svetlana Gannushkina, chairperson of the "Civil Assistance" committee, to the correspondent of the "Caucasian Knot" by telephone from the Chechen capital. She has learnt about this from Sultan Chilaev, the father of the kidnapped person.

"The day before yesterday when Sultan Chilaev was in Moscow where I met him, his brother, Bulat's uncle, phoned him to say that the source through which they had been receiving "such" information told him that, if Sultan suspended the picket with the request to find the son and the criminals, they would return the body of Bulat. This was an intermediary, not a person involved in the kidnapping," says Svetlana Gannushkina. However, Sultan, the father of the kidnapped person, decided not to let them push him around and took part in the today's picket in Grozny.

Bulat Chilaev and Aslan Israilov, resident of Grozny, were captured and taken to an unknown destination by armed people on April 9 this year on the "Caucasus" federal highway at the Sernovodsk-Assinovskaya crossing in the Republic of Chechnya.

"Since on the place of the kidnapping they have found the name badge of an officer of the "West" battalion under the of the Chief Intelligence Directorate of the RF Ministry of Defence, under the command of Said-Magomet Kakiev, in all probability this unit is involved in the disappearance of our employee and his co-traveller, said Svetlana Gannushkina, member of the Council on facilitation of civil society development and human rights under the RF President, to the correspondent of the "Caucasian Knot." - We demand a true and serious investigation of the kidnapping, as required in case of any crime, rather than as it, alas, has been happening in Chechnya in recent years."

"According to our information, the "Zhiguli" car driven by Chilaev was stopped at the exit from the village of Sernovodsk by a group of armed people wearing camouflage and masks. There were both Russians and Chechens among the attackers. Without any explanations, they stormed Chilaev and Israilov, cruelly beat them, threw Israilov into the boot of their car and forced Chilaev into the back seat and drove them in the direction of Grozny. They also took away Chilaev's car," told an employee of the "Memorial" human rights centre to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

"Relatives of Bulat Chilaev and Aslan Israilov have applied virtually to all power authorities and state agencies of the republic but failed to learn anything about the fate of the kidnapped persons. Additionally, Svetlana Gannushkina, chairperson of the "Civil Assistance" committee, has contacted the management and the power authorities of the republic with a request to help find their employee, but also in vain. Virtually all power authorities deny their involvement in the kidnapping of Chilaev and Israilov. Neither their location, nor their fate are known," said the "Memorial" activist yesterday.