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Luisa Beterguerieva

Abduction and Killing of Human Rights Defender in Chechnya, January 2004posted on: 2004/06/17

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.

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Another Chechen Human Rights Defender in Danger, January 2004posted on: 2004/06/17

Human rights defender Imran Ezhiev, head of the Information Centre of the Society of Russian-Chechen Friendship in Chechnya (SRFC) in the Northern Caucasus, is allegedly at grave risk due to his investigation of the recent kidnapping and assassination of his colleague Aslan Davletukaev, whose dead body was reportedly discovered on 16 January 2004, bearing evidence of torture and mutilation.

On 26 January 2004, it was reported that the house and workplace of Mr. Ezhiev in Ingushetia were being watched by unidentified individuals. It was also reported that he was being followed by unidentified individuals driving four cars without license plates. Cars without license plates have allegedly been used in the past to kidnap Chechen refugees, and there are concerns that when road police don't stop a car without number plates, it because it belongs to the security service of the pro-Moscow president of Chechnya, Akhmad Kadyrov.