23:48, 16 February 2005

Details of Magomadov's release still unknown

Details of the release of Makhmut Magomadov, a well-known human rights activist and lawyer abducted in Chechnya, still remain unknown. Information about the release of North Caucasus expert of the International Helsinki Federation (IHF) Makhmut Magomadov abducted in Grozny on January 20, appeared in the evening of February 13. But neither who detained him and why nor details of the release have become clear.

"I think information that Makhmut was released half an hour after the detention and then he left Grozny for the purpose of safety and have stayed at his friends for all that time does not entirely represent the facts," a Chechen NGO activist said to the Caucasian Knot correspondent.

In the time of Aslan Maskhadov's presidency, Makhmut Magomadov was one of the deputies of the Chechen prosecutor general and headed a special group which investigated cases connected with kidnappings. He also took part in the hearings of six cases of Chechen residents presented by the Human Rights Center Memorial to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

Author: Sultan Abubakarov, CK correspondent