Number of detainees in ”mopping-up” operations risesRuslan Isayev, North Caucasus, July 24 – Only in recent three weeks Russian soldiers have detained in special operations dozens of innocent people. The operations are carried out in the dead of night and human rights are grossly violated during them.
On July 15 five people were detained and three women beat in Sernovodsk, west of Grozny, in what resembled a night raid. The operation triggered a three-day protest rally on the ”Kavkaz” federal road aimed at halting the violence.
In the village of Gekhi, Russian soldiers took away six people and beat another ten. Besides, four people were detained in Alkhazurovo. Strikingly, these operations were carried out at night by soldiers wearing masks.
Since July 20 the settlement of Alkhan-Kala in the Grozny district has been thoroughly sealed off. Only those having a local registration (i.e. residence permit) are allowed to enter the village, and women and the elderly can leave it. Armoured vehicles are standing at every crossroad and soldiers are checking houses one by one. However, at night they burst into houses in masks. So far three people have been detained and some even beat in Alkhan-Kala.
In Martan-Tchu, the Urus-Martan district, seven youngsters were detained with the youngest of them being only sixteen. "I know all of them. Neither of them has ever taken part in military actions against the Russian military. All the detentions took place at 3 a.m. with soldiers coming on armoured vehicles and UAZ lorries. When local women tried to prevent the soldiers from detaining, they were beaten with gun butts," said Zarema Magomadova, a 44-year-old resident Martan-Tchu.
At the same time, the military headquarters and the Prosecutor's Office claim that neither the Russian army, nor secret services have anything to do with the operation.
Yakub Didigov, a 66-year-old resident of the Valerik settlement, southwest of Grozny, described the ”mopping-up” operations as follows: "In the dead of night soldiers burst into the houses of ordinary Chechens with armoured vehicles breaking the gate and masked servicemen jumping inside through broken doors and windows".
Most of the Chechens sustaining such damage are afraid to make the authorities launch legal action for breaching their rights. People are scared and try to do their best to reach a compromise with Russian soldiers.
(M/T) |
