On May 26, 2011 there should have been an inspection of the scene of incident (police department no.2 of Grozny) with the participation of Gelani Umarpashayev – brother of Islam Umarpashayev abducted by law enforcers (http://www.novgaz.ru/data/2011/016/14.html?print=201114052126). An investigative task force headed by an investigator of the Central Office of the Russian Investigative Committee arrived at the location. The forensic expert of the investigative task force was taking pictures. The duty officer of police department no.2 said that he had not been given an order to let any investigative task force in, and he only had an order not to let unauthorized persons in (apparently, the investigator of the Main Investigation Administration for the North-Caucasian Federal Territory, colonel of justice, was an authorized person for him). After that the duty officer tried to prevent video recording. 

  It was decided to postpone the investigative activity until the police department heads arrived. However, even in several hours the investigators failed to enter the premises of the “unassailable” police department. First, the duty officer refused to let the investigator in saying that the responsible person would come soon and let everyone in. In 20 minutes the duty officer promised to let the investigator in when the police department head arrived. Later unknown armed individuals approached the investigator and asked him to stop video recording.  When the investigator refused to do so, they asked him to go with them for a second “for a chat”. When the investigator again refused to fulfill their request, they started shooting him with their cell phone cameras.

Following one more failure to access to the territory of the police department it was decided to stop the investigative activity.   

The Committee Against Torture is extremely disturbed and outraged by the situation in the North Caucasus where local law enforcers do not simply ignore Russian law (this has happened before http://www.novayagazeta.ru/data/2011/052/03.html?print=201120051316), but openly oppose its enforcement and receive offenders.

We would like to emphasize that the Chechen authorities are either incapable of ensuring compliance with law by their subordinates or unwilling to do so. We request respect for the Constitution and punishment of perpetrators.

Chechen law enforcers trying to prevent the investigation:http://www.youtube.com/embed/RYk1qDPbizM

More details about the incident and investigative activity are available in the ICAT blog.