Chechnya: a Russian Inhabitant Has Been Killed by Unidentified People

[Human Rights Center Memorial]

Chechnya: a Russian Inhabitant Has Been Killed by Unidentified People

Memorial Human Rights Center has been informed that Anatoly Alexandrovich Dronov, an inhabitant of Grozny, Chechen Republic, born in 1958, was beaten to death in February of this year.

We have been informed of certain aspects of his life and death by Anatoliy Dronov’s close friend, at whose he has been living for the last three years before his death. They knew each other since childhood; they practiced sport together in the same sports centre. We will not name Anatoly Dronov’s friend due to safety reasons.

Anatoly Dronov’s registered domicile was located in the Oktyabrskiy district of Grozny, Roskova street, but he was compelled not to live in his own apartment. He used to be a soccer player of the "Terek" team. He was convicted in 2002 for the jealousy-related murder of a woman to an eight years imprisonment. He was released on parole in 2008.

Back in Grozny, Anatoly found out that his flat was occupied by a certain Yusuphadjiev family. His friend has no idea on what grounds this family moved into Anatoly’s apartment. Anatoly went to a lawyer’s for a consultation, wrote a request to the district administration, without any satisfactory results. He didn’t turn to the courts or to the human rights advocates.

According to his friend, Anatoly had another apartment on Kadyrov Avenue which he had inherited from his grandmother. But by the time Anatoly came back to Grozny it was also occupied by some strangers. He, as an attempt to reclaim his property, went on negotiations with the newcomers. But these ones asked him to make restitution of the money they supposedly had already paid for the apartment.

Dronov had actually no money and was left without a home. He wandered, spent his nights at acquaintances or in basements till a good acquaintance sheltered him. He lived at this woman’s for two years. When she died Anatoly moved to that friend’s and kept living with him until his death.

One day, some law enforcement agents came to him and offered a bargain: they would give back the apartments but take away the documents related to his property rights. Instead of living there, Anatoly was supposed to sell his dwellings and divide equally the takings between him and the agents. Anatoly’s friend does not know the details of what happened, he just insisted that Anatoly should not leave the property documents at home.

On the 3rd of February 2013, Anatoly found a job on a private construction site in Grozny. He came back home satisfied, told happily his friend about his new job for which he had been promised 5 thousand rubles.

On the 4th of February in the evening, Anatoly returned from work. His body was covered with hematomas; he was spitting blood and could barely move. At first he said that he fell accidentally. But after a long inquiry he finally confessed that they beat him. He gave neither the names nor the reasons. His friend tried to call first aid twice but Anatoly asked him not to do so, he said that he would manage with medicine bought at the drugstore. Dronov drank anesthetizing pills and went asleep.

On the 6th of February, early in the morning, Anatoly’s friend found him unconscious in the kitchen. He called first aid and heard from the doctors that Anatoly was dead.

Anatoly’s friend called the rescue service for them to collect Anatoly’s body. The district police officer arrived and interrogated him, after what some other officers came in but he doesn’t know who exactly they were.

April 1, 2013