16 February 2021, 21:57
Kremlin takes interest in "Novaya Gazeta" data on extrajudicial executions in Chechnya
The press secretary of Vladimir Putin decided to familiarize himself with the material released by the newspaper "Novaya Gazeta" about the detention by Chechen law enforcers of 108 people, some of whom fell victim to extrajudicial executions later.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on February 15, the newspaper "Novaya Gazeta" reported that it got photographic tables of the Chechen Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) with the information about the detention of 108 people, some of whom fell victim to the extrajudicial executions. The "Novaya Gazeta" announced an interview with a Chechen law enforcer who witnessed the executions.
Today, Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary for the President of Russia, has admitted he is not able to comment to journalists on the investigation released by the "Novaya Gazeta". "I cannot answer your question, because I have not read the material ... I will definitely look through it," said Dmitry Peskov as quoted by the RIA "Novosti".
The press secretary for the President of Russia has also added that such materials should be addressed by the law enforcement bodies and expressed the hope that the latter have already managed to examine the material released by the "Novaya Gazeta", the TASS reports.
Back in July 2017, the "Novaya Gazeta" reported that in Chechnya, 27 people, detained after an attack on policemen in Grozny on December 17, 2016, were executed on the night of January 26, 2017. The newspaper also obtained copies of photographic tables prepared by the Chechen MIA, with the information about the detention of people. According to the newspaper, which posted copies of documents on July 31, 2017, out of those detained, 14 people were killed. However, investigators refused to institute a criminal case on the killing of the detainees and said that most of the people whose names appeared in the "execution list" left to fight in Syria.
This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on February 16, 2021 at 03:33 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.
