Regional headquarters on counter-terrorist operation in North Caucasus proclaimed killed civilians as rebels

At the end of November 2003, the Human Rights Center "Memorial" received the following information:

On September 17, 2003, at about 10 a.m., foresters of the Achkhoy-Martan forestry Alaudin Ayubovich Gandaloyev, 1938, and Viskhan Khasanovich Badayev, 1952, were killed on the road between the villages of Yandi and Stariy Achkhoy. Alaudin Gandaloyev lived in the village of Achkhoy-Martan, Viskhan Badayev did in the village of Yandi.

Alaudin Gandaloyev came to the place of his work in a GAZ-2410 car. The car was driven by his son, Emir Gandaloyev. It belonged to another man, and Emir used it by proxy. There Alaudin met Viskhan Badayev, who was waiting for him.

All the three men were standing near the car and talking when three gunmen wearing masks and camouflage uniform came out of the bushes. They aimed their arms at the men and demanded that they show their documents. Alaudin Gandaloyev thrust a hand into his pocket to take out his passport. His son bent over to take his documents out of the car. One of the gunmen struck him with a butt and made him lie on the ground. At that moment Emir heard a burst of fire, the second one followed shortly after. One of the gunmen picked up Emir's documents that fell on the ground: his passport fell into the car, and the car registration certificate with a name of the other man lied on the ground.

The gunman said, "Well, this is a driver!" and threw the documents back on the ground. Just after it the gunmen disappeared behind the bushes, which grew along the road.

Emir Gandaloyev rose on his feet and saw his father and Viskhan Badayev were dead.

On September 17, the Achkhoy-Martan interdistrict prosecutor's office instituted criminal proceedings in connection with the murder of Alaudin Gandaloyev and Viskhan Badayev.

On September 24, the Stolitsa Plus newspaper published the report by the regional headquarters on the counter-terrorist operation in the North Caucasus:

"On September 17, a unit of federal troops was attacked from the automatic from the direction of the Yandi village, Chechnya's Achkhoy-Martan district. Two rebels were killed as a result of the return fire, their bodies were found while combing the area. Two automatic rifles, four magazines, 275 cartridges and 8 grenades were seized at the site of occurrence. The bodies were given to the locals for burial."

The only locals who were killed near Yandi in those days were Alaudin Gandaloyev and Viskhan Badayev. Now their relatives are in great danger as the relatives of people proclaimed to be rebels.