People of Khambi-Irze village demand end to nightly raids by military forcesRuslan Isayev, North Caucasus, September 5 - People from the village of Khambi-Irze (Lermontovo) in the Achkhoi-Martanovsky district have been rallying on the Rostov-Baku road for two days, demanding an end to nightly raids by various military and police forces that have resulted in civilian "disappearances".
The protest was triggered by the recent arrest of a fellow villager, 18-year-old Iriskhan Edelkhanov, by unknown assailants at his home Wednesday night. It was impossible to determine who led him away, stated the villagers, because the men wore masks and the license plates on their armoured vehicles were covered with mud.
Since that night no one has seen Iriskhan; and his relatives have repeatedly tried to discover his whereabouts, but to no avail.
Over a hundred people took part in the rally. At one point they walked onto the road, blocking traffic. Because they refused to let a group of Russian soldiers go by, the soldiers fired at the tires of three civilian cars that were blocking them. The protesters claimed the soldiers were prepared to open fire at them so they decided to rally at the roadside instead.
The protestors want the district authorities to take drastic steps to avoid similar such incidents from happening, and to find that young man who was abducted. However, if the authorities continue ignoring their pleas, they will stage an unlimited protest.
(T/E) |
