Number of houses of militants' families demolished in Chechnya reached 15, rights defenders report
As of December 23, in Chechnya, law enforcers demolished 15 houses of militants' relatives, the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" has reported today, and confirmed, in particular, the data of the "Caucasian Knot" about burning down of a militant's family house in the Gudermes District.
Earlier, residents of Chechnya told the "Caucasian Knot" about at least 11 demolished houses of militants' relatives after December 7.
On December 5, Ramzan Kadyrov held a meeting, during which he announced the introduction of the principle of collective responsibility of families of members of the armed underground. The head of Chechnya said that militants' relatives will be expelled from the republic, and their houses will be demolished. Kadyrov made this statement after militants’ attack on Grozny. The fight resulted in 11 killed members of the armed underground and 14 lost power agents; other 36 law enforcers were wounded.
According to the latest data of the HRC "Memorial", four houses were demolished in the villages of Alpatovo, Naur District, Geldagan, Kurchaloy District, Ishkhoy-Yurt, Gudermes District, and in Gudermes.
On December 6, in the village of Alpatovo, they burned down the house of the family of Imran Utsimiev. On December 4, Imran's son Baysangur, 18, took part in the attack on Grozny and was killed. The house burned down, the Utsimiev family left in an unknown direction, rights defenders report.
According to the HRC "Memorial", at night on December 13, power agents completely demolished the house of Sultan Vakhayev in the village of Geldagan, Kurchaloy District. The house was empty: the family moved out of the country back in 2013.
Ishkhoy-Yurt villagers reported that at night on December 21, power agents demolished the empty house of Masara Vadalova. According to rights defenders, one of her sons, Aslambek, joined the armed underground in the beginning of the first Chechen war.
In Gudermes, at night on December 13, the family house of Ruslan Magomadov was demolished. "Their son Magomed was among the militants involved in the attack on Grozny on December 4. Following these events, the family left in an unknown direction," says the release.
Rights defenders have added that in the village of Koshkeldy, Gudermes District of Chechnya, two houses of the Shabanov family were burned down.
Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.