Abduction and Killing of Human Rights Defender in Chechnya, January 2004

Aslan Davletukaev, a human rights defender working with the Society of Russian-Chechen Friendship in Chechnya, was reportedly forcibly abducted from his home in Chechnya on 10 January. His body was discovered on 16 January near a highway into Gudermes town. He had been shot in the back of the head and his body bore signs of torture.

Front Line has called on the Russian authorities to open an independent investigation into his abduction and killing, and has called for urgent steps to be taken to ensure the protection of human rights defenders in Chechnya.

Aslan Sheripovich Davletukaev, (born 1973), was watching television with a friend in his home in the village of Avtur, Shalinsk Region of the Chechen Republic, at around 10.15pm on 10 January. Around 50 armed men arrived in several vehicles. They were dressed in military style camouflaged clothing, but without insignia, and broke into Aslan Davletukaev's home. They forced him into one of their cars and drove him away. Witnesses reportedly stated that they thought the armed men, who spoke in Russian, were Russian Federal servicemen.

Aslan Devletukaev had been working since 2000 as a volunteer for the Society of Russian-Chechen Friendship collecting information on human rights abuses for their Information Center. He is the third member of the Society to be killed in the last three years following the killings of Luisa Beterguerieva and Akhmed Ezhiev in December 2001. Akhmed Ezhiev was killed after he had called for the killers of Luisa Beterguerieva to be brought to justice during a speech at her funeral. A fourth member, Arthur Akhmatkhanov, was shot and wounded in the street by Russian Federal servicemen on 2 April 2003. He was dragged into one of their armoured vehicles and has not been seen since.

Russian President, Vladimir Putin, was reported on 22 January 2004 to have dismissed his envoy for human rights in Chechnya, turning over the task of overseeing the issue to Chechen President Akhmad Kadyrov. The move has sparked renewed concern from human rights organizations about the potential for ongoing human rights violations in the region. Front Line continues to be gravely concerned for the safetly of Human Rights Defenders in Chechnya.