Chechen human rights activist detained by „Interpol“ in IngushetiaTimur Aliyev, North Caucasus - Lema Shakhmurzayev, the head of the recently established political coalition „National Unity“, was detained in refugee camp Sleptsovskaya in Ingushetia this afternoon. He was released after two hours.
Today at 2 p.m., two uniformed men came up, introduced themselves as members of the Ingush branch of Interpol, and took Shakhmurzayev away in their UAZ car.
The Interior Ministry of Ingushetia has refused any involvement in the detention of the Chechen human rights defender. According to the Ministry, Lema Shakhmurzayev was brought neither to GOVD (the Municipal Department of the Interior Ministry), nor to ROVD (the District Department of the Interior Ministry). Moreover, Deputy Interior Minister Kotiyev said that the ministry was not aware of an Interpol office in Ingushetia.
Shakhmurzayev was released after two hours. He said that the „Interpol“ officers, who actually were members of the local Criminal Investigation Department, were interested in the event which is to be held by his organization on October 3. On that day, Chechen human rights organizations are going to support at a small meeting Chechen human rights defender S. Tashtamirov, who has been since September 24 on a hunger strike in the refugee camp of Sleptsovskaya in protest against the war in Chechnya.
Chairman of the Chechen Committee of National Salvation Ruslan Badalov believes that the aim of Shakhmurzayev´s detention was to „thwart the planned event“.
(A/T) |
