In the Chechen Republic in the center of Grozny human rights activists discovered a secret prison of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA). In a cellar of the building, where a MIA’s operational group was located, detained people were kept in prison, some of them were tortured and killed, – the “Memorial” human rights center reported, on the basis of its own investigation and a proof presented by victim of that prison Alavdi Sadykov. The day after the MIA’s group left the place, the secret prison was quickly demolished. Russian and international human rights activists believe that Chechen’s authorities twice curtail the number of kidnapped and disappeared people in the Republic. (12-JUN-06)
Text: HRH/ Moscow, Yanina Savenko. Sources: www.newsru.com, www.memo.ru, http://kavkaz.memo.ru , www.hro.org/editions/demos.Photos: www.memo.ru, http://pics.cry.ru.
In cellars, where kidnapped and detained people were kept, the inscriptions were found and traces of blood: “We’ll revenge ourselves for everything, inshalla”; “Where am I. Am I alive or not. The 27 March, 2006”. Besides a journal with 104 photos and numbered names list was discovered. There were inscriptions made by jailers on the principal facade of the building: “We’ll help you die”, signed by OMON; “Russian vodka helps comprehension” and others. The secret prison was situated in the building of a former boarding school for deaf children, its windows were blocked up with bricks and the territory was enclosed with barbed wire. Prison cells were 2.5 x 3 m in size. According to Alavdi Sadykov, in April 2000 10 persons were put in such a cell. Moreover, there were no windows or vents in the cells except openings in the doors.
Direct evidence was destroyed
The secret prison in the Octyabrsky district of Grozny functioned until May 2006. The Hanty-Mansiysky OMON platoon was the last detachment located there and in the end of May it was called off by order of Chechen’s Prime Minister Ramzan Kadyrov. Kadyrov said that the building must be repaired, but instead of that it was quickly demolished. According to abundant evidence, many people taken to Temporary Department of Internal Affaires of Octyabrsky district, disappeared without leaving a trace. To a great extent, ill fame of this building is connected with activities of combined police detachment of Hanty-Mansiysky region in the years of 2000-01. When that detachment was sent to Grozny the second time in 2002 human rights activists expressed a strong protest. However, Hanty-Mansiysky OMON platoon was detached to Grozny during the ensuing years.
Public prosecutor of the Chechen Republic denies information of human rights activists
The Office of Public Prosecutor of the Chechen Republic has been checking information about unlawful actions, which were taken by employees of the Octyabrsky Temporary Department of Internal Affaires towards detained persons put into the Preliminary Investigation Cell. “This territory was occupied by the Preliminary Investigation Cell, belonging to the Temporary Department of Internal Affaires, which functioned officially and was not any secret object”, – said Public Prosecutor of the Chechen Republic Kuznetsov.
– They are not fools to leave any traces
Ombudsman for Human Rights in the Chechen Republic Nurdi Nukhazhiev has also denied information of human rights activists about the secret prison found in the center of Groznyy, where people were tortured and killed. “I applied for information to the Office of Public Prosecutor of the Chechen Republic. An investigation was conducted. No proofs, confirming the fact of tortures and murders of people, were found. Certainly, there was the Preliminary Investigation Cell in that building as in any law-enforcement institution. I wouldn’t tell that angels served there, I wouldn’t tell that ideal people worked there, but they were not fools for leaving any traces in 2006, testifying to tortures and murders”, – said Nukhazhiev.
There is direct evidence of crime
– What has happened is a case, when there is no need to deny something, because some evidence was undoubtedly left. And that´s not the foolishness, but feeling of impunity. You know, all this is going on in the Chechen Republic 
without any comments of authorities and elementary investigation, – said Svetlana Ganushkina, representative of the “Civil Assistance”. Natalya Estemirova member of Memorial center in Grozny spoke about the presence of documentary proof, alive witnesses and victims. “We know a few people, and it has been documented, who entered that jail in 2000 and didn’t come back. In 2002 dogs kept pulling out a human foot or a human hand from the territory of the Preliminary Investigation Cell. It prompted President of the Chechen Republic Akhmad Kadyrov to visit that place in order to know, what was happening. And when in January 2001 parents of Zelimkhan Murdalov demanded to tell them where their son was, finally a person on duty blabbed out: “Some corpses are lying there – Look!” At the same time the Office of Public Prosecutor and police don’t care for investigation. And the most interesting is Ombudsman’s position, who didn’t help us to find those traces and nobody from his staff has never been there”, – said Natalya Estemirova.
