13:20, 29 March 2016

Barinov: harassment of militants' relatives will not help to conquer terrorism

Burned down houses belonged to relatives of militants killed in Grozny on December 4, Andi village, Achkhoi-Martan District, December 7,2014. Photo by ‘Memorial’ Human Rights Centre press-service.

The destruction of militants' houses and the pressure on their relatives sometimes leads to radicalization of many people, believes Igor Barinov, the head of the Russian Federal Agency for Nationalities' Matters. His comment was made shortly after Putin's remark made during Ramzan Kadyrov's appointment the head of Chechnya about the need for enforcement of Russian laws in the Chechnya, where authorities openly threatened relatives of members of the armed underground.

On December 5, Ramzan Kadyrov held a meeting, during which he announced the introduction of the principle of collective responsibility of families of members of the armed underground. The head of Chechnya said that militants' relatives will be expelled from the republic, and their houses will be demolished. Kadyrov made this statement after militants’ attack on Grozny on December 4. The fight resulted in 11 killed members of the armed underground and 14 lost power agents; other 36 law enforcers were wounded.

The demolition of terrorists' houses and harassment of their relatives "were borrowed from the Israeli experience," but they are not an effective method of combating terrorism, Mr Barinov said on March 28.

"We also analyzed the Israeli experience and saw no special benefits. Yes, they demolished houses (of terrorists), but sometimes the effect was opposite: radicalized terrorists' relatives. My personal position is that it is, after all, not a due method, in the first place, for our country," Igor Barinov said on air of the "Russian News Service" Radio.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.