01 September 2008, 13:24
Human rights defenders demand inquiry into the murder of the "Ingushetia.Ru" owner
Russian and Ingush human rights organizations have voiced in favour of prompt investigation into the circumstance of Magomed Evloev's murder. Demands are also expressed to entrust the case to federal, not local, inspectors.
Human Rights Watch also calls to investigate into the circumstances of the death in Ingushetia of Magomed Evloev, manager of the oppositional website "Ingushetia.Ru".
"Evloev is a well-known figure, perhaps, the main oppositional figure in Ingushetia. His death under such suspicious circumstances can't but cause questions," said Tatiana Lokshina, deputy director of Moscow office of Human Rights Watch, the "Interfax" reports.
Radio Liberty reports that Alexander Cherkasov, a member of the Board of the Society "Memorial", has noted that human rights activists had repeatedly stated that extrajudicial executions are a practice in Ingushetia. People are not detained, they are murdered, Mr Cherkasov has added.
Aslambek Apaev, expert of the Moscow Helsinki Group for Northern Caucasus, has stated in his conversation with the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that the murder of Magomed Evloev, owner of the website "Ingushetia.Ru", is a challenge to the whole human rights movement in Russia, having added that, in his opinion, this was a customized political murder.
The "Mashr" human rights organization has conducted its investigation into the circumstances of Evloev's death. Magomed Mutsolgov, leader of the "Mashr", has stated that the outcomes of their public inquiry give grounds to assert that two high-ranking Ingushetian officials are directly or indirectly involved in Evloev's murder:
"If the evidences of eyewitnesses that we have registered are true, there are grounds to suspect President of Ingushetia Murat Zyazikov and Minister of Internal Affairs Musa Medov of participation in Magomed Evloev's murder."
As to Magomed Evloev himself, he believed that activation of attacks on the website was caused by publication of the material about beating of President of Ingushetia Murat Zyazikov by Musa Keligov, former deputy plenipotentiary of Russian President for the South Federal District (SFD).