Rights defenders: Ingush teips forced to abandon claims against Chechen authorities

Analysts call in question that the Timurziev and Sultygov Ingush teips (family clans) sincerely admitted that they were wrong. The experts suggest it has been a unique case when members of the Ingush teips objected to Ramzan Kadyrov and requested to prove that the suspects killed in a special operation were terrorists.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in response to the appeal voiced by the Timurziev and Sultygov teips, Magomed Daudov, the speaker of the Chechen parliament, reminded them of the blood feud. On December 31, the members of the Ingush teips admitted they were wrong. Ramzan Kadyrov instructed his subordinates to check whether the statements voiced by the members of the Timurziev and Sultygov teips contained any signs of complicity with terrorism.

This is not the first time when people publicly stood up for the persons declared terrorists, but the case is unique, because the objections have been addressed to Ramzan Kadyrov, emphasizes Igor Kalyapin, the chairman of the "Committee against Torture" (CaT). The human rights defender suggested that the members of the Ingush teips had to admit they were wrong because of threats from the Chechen authorities.

Svetlana Gannushkina, the chair of the "Civic Assistance Committee", also calls in question the sincerity of the Ingush teips' apologies to the Chechen authorities.

Oleg Orlov, a member of the board of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial", sees no support for terrorists in the statements voiced by the members of the Ingush teips. According to him, the case is unique, because the Chechen authorities listened to the Ingush teips' request and released an appropriate video. The human rights defender also suggests that the apologies of the Ingush teips cannot be associated with the practice of public apologies to the Chechen authorities.