Kabardino-Balkaria: Body of Abducted Inhabitant of Nal'chik Found

1 view

Skip to first unread message

Human Rights Center Memorial

unread,

Jun 6, 2012, 4:28:36 AM6/6/12

to hrcmemo...@googlegroups.com

Kabardino-Balkaria: Body of Abducted Inhabitant of Nal'chik Found

On 1st June, 2012, Zalina Khekilaeva, inhabitant of Nal'chik, Kabardino-Balkar Republic, appealed in writing to the Human Rights Centre “Memorial.” She reported that, as she and her husband Albert Mukhamedovich Karmov (19 years old) were walking on the evening of May 29, they were approached by a dark-coloured vehicle. Three men in masks and camouflage clothing jumped out of it. Without saying anything, they grabbed Albert, forced him into the car, and drove away in an unknown direction. Zalina began to call her husband, but his phone had already been turned off. She informed all relatives and friends about what had happened. They decided that it had been law enforcement agents and that it was necessary to await a call from them. Receiving no news about Albert, on May 30 they filed a report with the investigative department of the Russian Investigative Committee, Kabardino-Balkar Republic branch.

On May 31st, his relatives called the morgue and were informed that a body had been delivered to the morgue, with distinctive marks similar to those of Albert. At the morgue, relatives identified it as his body. They noticed visible wounds from explosives on his body, and that his left eye and one hand were missing. According to the staff at the morgue, his death was caused by an explosive device, likely homemade. According to Zalina, the police are now carrying out checks prior to investigation.

In her application Khekilaeva asserts that at the beginning of May officers of an unknown power structure abducted her, too. They drove up to her as she stood outside her home, forced her into their car, and placed a plastic bag on her head. She tried to ask them something, but the abductors hit her head against the car window several times. They drove her to an unknown place and led her into a room. There, they hit her over the head several times, and began to ask her about her husband and his friends – what they do, where they work, how they earn money, whether they observe Muslim religion. After five hours, they drove Zalina into the countryside and ejected her from the car with threats that “if she made even a peep about what had happened, then both she and her husband would pay.”

Zalina is four months pregnant. She says that for the past two months Albert had noticed that he was being followed.