Rights defenders report new cases of persecution of militants' relatives by power agents in Chechnya

The married couple Abdulazizi and Zargan Osupov, residents of the village of Elistanzhi, Vedeno District of Chechnya, fear that their house may be burnt down by power agents as punishment for their son's joining militants. They shared their fears with the staff of the representative office of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" in Grozny.

Osupov's parents filed written applications to the local ROVD (District Interior Division), Prosecutor's Office and the FSB. According to the spouses, ROVD employees told them that if Albert had gone "to the forest", they could not guarantee safety of their property and house. Besides, they added that the houses of militants' relatives should be burnt down.

Earlier Albert was a militant. His relatives found him with great difficulty and brought him to the ROVD. Albert was convicted of involvement in illegal armed formations and sentenced to 1.5 years of colony-settlement in the city of Kirov, where he got acquainted with Zaurbek.

In late June rights defenders learnt about two cases, when houses of militants' relatives were burnt down. According to their data, on June 24 in the village of Geldagan, Kurchaloi District, armed men in masks and camouflage broke into the houses of Khozhi Reshedov and his nephew Khavazhi Reshedov. All the residents were driven into the street, and the houses were burnt down. "It's no secret that the cause of the arson was Khozhi's son departure 'to the forest to join militants'," says the statement of the HRC "Memorial".

According to human rights activists, a day later, on June 25, in the same village power agents burnt down the house of Sherpudin Demelkhanov. His son Ali had been convicted for involvement in IAFs (illegal armed formations). After imprisonment he rejoined militants.

"The practice of burning down houses of militants' relatives in the Chechen Republic became widespread in 2008-2009. Obviously, this illegal practice was sanctioned by Chechen leadership, and, consequently, the performers of arsons are not punished," summed up the statement of the HRC "Memorial".