Chechen reprisals in IngushetiaTimur Aliyev, North Caucasus - After the night time incursion of armed groups into Ingushetia on June 22, Chechens living there were suddenly beset by continuous checking of their documents and belongings.
On June 29, police surrounded the central marketplace in Nazran and began to thoroughly examine the papers of the vendors and their customers.
The local police explained this was simply a way of checking adherence to registration rules of citizens who lived in the republic, but were registered in other cities; and it was also a weapons search.
But one of the vendors said that their merchandise had also been examined. Special attention was given to videocassettes and CDs, which were confiscated and then later returned.
“They were apparently searching for some ideological ‘weapons,’ such as statements by Ichkerian leaders or Wahhabi propaganda," assumes Magomed Sambiyev, a videocassette salesman.
Many people consider this incident in the market to be a form of reprisal against the Chechens who live in Ingushetia. "It’s no secret that almost half the market vendors are Chechens. So that means this procedure was carried out solely to reveal which Chechens had no registration papers; those who didn’t would then be thrown out of Ingushetia," explained Makka Adayeva, one of the saleswomen.
This explanation seems to be right, because after the "execution" of policemen in Ingushetia on the night of June 22, all temporary accommodation centers there underwent similar checks. And soon after leaflets appeared on many Ingush town halls stating, "Anyone living here without registration papers will be evicted."
(S/E,T)
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