14:22, 3 February 2004

Special operation in Berkat-Yurt village

Officers of the security service conducted a special operation in the village of Berkat-Yurt, Chechnya's Grozny district, on January 23. Several Zhiguli and UAZ cars entered the village at about 3 p.m. Security officers encircled one of the houses and detained its master, Askhab Khazayev. Then they demanded that two young people who were in the house as guests should surrender and opened heavy fire on the house. Even though the two men staying in the house did not offer resistance, Kadyrov's people kept on firing until it became obvious that those people were dead. Then the security officers entered the house, spilled benzene on the men they had just killed and set them on fire. The house caught fire and was completely destroyed.

Source: Public organization "Chechen National Rescue Committee"