Elderly Chechen man detained in hospitalRuslan Isayev, North Caucasus – Ziyavdi Mazhitov, a 62-year-old resident of the Zakan-Yurt village in the Urus-Martan district, was detained by Russian soldiers right in a hospital in Urus-Martan.
Mr Mazhitov, a convalescent, was operated on a few days ago after Russian soldiers beat him in Zakan-Yurt on January 15 during one of the “mopping-up” operations in the village. People wearing army uniforms burst into the house and put stealthily a sub-machine gun in Mr Mazhitov’s room to justify the search. Claiming that he is one of Aslan Maskhadov’s fighters, the soldiers beat him severely. After they left Ziyavdi Mazhitov was taken to hospital by his neighbours. A week later soldiers came there and detained Mr Mazhitov.
Mazhitov’s relatives claim they have no information concerning his whereabouts. Mrs Mazhitov said the soldiers who detained her husband wore masks and refused to identify themselves. Besides, the village administration head, who was to check human rights situation during the “mopping-up” operation, was isolated in his house by the soldiers. Another two young people who were detained with Mr Mazhitov returned home the second day but had no information about the old man.
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