Timur Suleymanov was a serviceman at a local car service centre. On May 7, 2011 he was detained by officers of the Staropromyslovsky District Department of Internal Affairs of Grozny. According to his father, the police made Timur confess to preparing a terrorist attack. Four hours later he was released.

On May 9, 2011 Timur was abducted. 8 people arrived at the car service centre in Lada Priora-type vehicles and forced Timur into one of the cars. Witnesses memorized the license plates.   

Timur’s father claims that the abduction was witnessed by law enforcers from the police station located 20 meters away from the car service centre, however, none of them interfered.

On May 10, 2011 Doka Suleymanov applied to the District Prosecutor’s Office, Memorial Human Rights Centre and Chechen office of INGO “Committee Against Torture” in connection with the abduction. Criminal proceedings have been instigated under his application.

Memorial Human Rights Centre staff has also applied to the ECtHR on Doku Suleymanov’s behalf. Now the Government will have to answer a number of questions about Timur Suleymanov’s whereabouts and fate.  

In its turn, the Committee Against Torture is engaged in a public investigation into Suleymanov’s allegations.  It will do its best to solve the case on the domestic level, not waiting for the application to be tried by the ECtHR.

For more information about the circumstances of Timur Sulaymanov’s abduction please visit the