Memorial: Human rights activist, who fought against kidnappings, got abducted in Chechnya
21.01.2005
In the Chechen Republic a human rights activist got abducted, who himself fought against kidnapping
On January 20th 2005 at about 6:30pm unknown camouflaged people took away Mahmut Dchaparovic Magomadov (born in 1954) to an unknown destination from a multi-storey house close to the factory "Elekropribor" in the city of Grozny .
He is a native of Chechnya from Pobedinckoe (one of the 15 milk state farms) in the region of Grozny (Побединское ( с. Побединское (15 молочного совхоза) Грозненского (сельского) района). Together with his family he lives at the address: City of Grozny, Gornjakov street, 2/a, appartment 48 (ул. Горняков, 2/а, квартира 48) and has 4 children. At the moment of abduction, he was together with his 4-year old daughter Iman and his wife, Albika Chabazova who had their 6-months old son Arbalo in her arms.
After making a ceremony of sacrifice, Mahmut Magomadov decided to bring meat of a sacrificed animal to Abubakar Amirov. A. Amirov raises his children alone, after soldiers had murdered his pregnant wife (this crime is described in detail by human rights organizations and in particular by the HRC "Memorial").
He drove to his house in his own car of the brand "VAZ 2107" (license plate 702 07/rus) and was persistently followed by another car of the brand "Zhigulis" of the 10th model in metallic. Albika Chabazova said that she has noticed this, but didn't pay any special attention to it.
After stopping at Abubakar Amirov's house, Mahmut Dchaparovic took his daughter by the hand and went up to the second floor of the house. His wife remained in the car with the baby. After a few minutes a number of cars arrived with high speed at the house: "Niva", VAZ - 2110 (a part of the license plate: 863) and VAZ - 21099, according to the eyewitnesses of metallic and cherry colors, a VAZ - 2107 (008 95/rus) of white color and a GAS - 31029. Out of these cars ran unidentified people without masks, armed with small arms and speaking on Chechen. Presumably, they were members of the local authorities under the inspection of Ramzan Kadyrov (so-called "Kadyrovs").
Albika Chabazova got out of the car and went to the house in which her husband was, but she was stopped by the armed people. One of them asked her: "Where is the owner of the car?" She said that the owner of the car is her husband and that he went to present meat of a sacrificed animal. In turn she tried to receive information about what was going on. However, all questions of the woman have been stopped with one phrase: "We have him and his family members!" (“У нас с ним свои разборки“).
The armed people surrounded the house and after some time they dragged out (this expression was emphasized by A.Shabazova) Mahmut Dchaparovic and, hanging onto him, the crying Iman. The girl was without shoes.
Albika Chabazova rushed to her daughter and her husband, but the armed people pushed her away. They demanded from the seized person to calm down his wife. Having thrown them the car keys, Mahmut Dchaparovic asked them not to touch the members of his family. He was violently set in the car "GAS - 31029" and taken away with the direction of the center of Grozny.
In 1981 Mahmut Dchaparovic Magomadov graduated from the Sverdlovsk Institute of Law. More than ten years he has worked in the organs of internal affairs, then even beyond the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Republic. In particular he was the inspector of the militia of the Don Tula district. He has returned home as late as 1992. In politics he was not engaged and in operations he did not participate. He always emphasized that his main task was - the struggle against criminality. For this reason, during the first Chechen war (from 1994 to 1996) he agreed to work in the Office of the Public Prosecutor and the tax service of the administration of the Chechen Republic, headed by Salambekom Hadchievim and then Dok Zavgaev.
After the conclusion of the Hasabjurtobski agreements he did not leave the Republic. The new authorities, having a lack of experts, offered him work in the Office of the Public Prosecutor. After some time he headed a special brigade on the fight against kidnapping. On the account of his work hundreds were released, tens of cases investigated and transferred to the courts and a number of criminals were brought to justice.
With the beginning of the second Chechen war Mahmut Magomadov began his cooperation with human rights organizations. He worked as a lawyer in "the Chechen Committee of National Rescue" (Чеченском комитете национального спасения) and since recently he is the expert of the "International Helsinki Federation" in the Northern Caucasus. For him it was not possible to leave the country. He has been involved in various human rights actions and meetings. In December 2004 for example, he has been invited to the "All-Russia Civil Forum" (Всероссийский гражданский форум). He participated actively in its work.
The relatives, friends and colleagues of Mahmut Dchaparovic Magomadov fear for his life and health. They ask everyone, who is able to help, to support his release as fast as possible.
Information of the Representation of HRC "Memorial" in Nazran.
(Note: Memorial's English translation was not edited by Prague Watchdog.) (T) |
