On October 10, at 14.30 the Essentuki city court will hear the complaint filed by Chairman of INGO “Committee Against Torture” Igor Kalyapin against blatant omissions of officials from the Main Administration of the Russian Interior Ministry for the North-Caucasian Federal Territory.
The complaint was triggered by the fact that Russian law enforcement authorities, and namely, the Investigation Committee and the Main Administration of the Russian Interior Ministry for the North-Caucasian Federal Territory were basically stonewalling the investigation into Chechen resident Islam Umarpashayev’s abduction and long-term unlawful detention at OMON premises. We would like to remind you that Islam Umarpashayev was detained at his home in Grozny in December 2009 by unidentified Chechen policemen who did not document the detention, nor explained the reason therefor. After that the detainee disappeared and was released only in 4 months. According to Umarpashayev, he spent that time in the basement of one of the buildings located on the territory of the Chechen OMON (Special Police Forces) base. Islam was not accused of anything, however, the police told him that they would kill him on the eve of the Victory Day to demonstrate their “good performance”. The Investigation Committee instigated criminal proceedings upon the fact of Umarpashayev’s abduction which on December 13, 2010 was transferred to the Main Investigation Administration of the Russian Investigation Committee.
Main Investigation Administration investigator, colonel of justice Igor Sobol in charge of the case is incapable of performing an effective investigation into the crime. Although he has sustained several motions requesting investigative actions, these actions have not been taken. Policemen do not show up for questioning and line-ups, and Chechen internal affairs heads are openly preventing the official investigation.
The position of the Main Administration of the Russian Interior Ministry for the North-Caucasian Federal Territory is also puzzling. Although Sobol has many times sent obligatory requests to ensure presence of certain police officers during investigative activities there, these requests have been ignored. In our opinion, such explicit violations can either be attributed to the lack of professionalism among employees of the North-Caucasian investigative authorities or to the intention to conceal those in charge of abduction and ensure that they escape prosecution.
In this context Chairman of INGO “Committee Against Torture” Igor Kalyapin has decided to lodge a complaint about omissions of officials of the Main Administration of the Russian Interior Ministry for the North-Caucasian Federal Territory and ask the court to consider the situation which prevents chief special investigator of the Main Investigation Administration of the Russian Investigation Committee for the North-Caucasian Federal Territory I.A. Sobol from taking steps necessary to ensure execution of his orders.
Attachments