Relatives cannot find out fate of militants detained in Grozny

According to relatives of the young people detained in the capital of Chechnya in December 2016 after the attacks on law enforcers, they still cannot get information about the detainees' whereabouts. Meanwhile, the detainees' relatives claim that they themselves have to go into hiding for fear of blood feud from family members of the killed policemen.

"There is no information about what has happened to our son after his detention. We have learned that he together with a man and a young woman were wounded in the shelling, when policemen shelled a car after an inspector of the road-and-patrol service (known as DPS) was hit... Then, the wounded people were allegedly taken to the 9th City Hospital of Grozny, where they were watched," the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told by father of a detained militant.

According to the man, he tried to find out anything about the fate of his son through his acquaintances from the law enforcement bodies; however, he was advised "not to raise the issue."

"We heard the rumours that the detainees had been tortured and then killed... I am not making excuses for anyone, but if my son is a militant and you managed to detain him alive, then file a charge against him, judge and shoot him dead if the law stipulates that," said the detainee's father.

The resident of Chechnya has noted that the blood feud primarily threatens fathers and brothers of the killed militants, though other relatives are also in serious danger.

According to a female relative of one of the militants killed on December 17, the authorities promised to help resolve the situation; however, till present, they took no actual steps.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.