Journalists detained in Ingushetia: publications in media saved our lives

Israpil Shovkhalov, editor-in-chief, and Abdullah Duduev, chief editor, of the Caucasian independent magazine "Dosh", detained by power agents in Ingushetia on March 9, assert that timely publications in media about their detention allowed them to survive.

The journalists told that their car was stopped near the village of Plievo, where they visited the rally that lasts for the third day already, where local residents demand to return the resident of Ingushetia Mikail Pliev kidnapped on March 4 in Pyatigorsk.

"They were people in camouflage in a car without number plates; we don't know who they were. They detained our taxi driver and started interrogating us directly on the road. Most likely, they shadowed us from the Plievo, the place of the rally. They didn't present themselves and waved their documents so quickly that we could read nothing there," Mr Shovkhalov told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

According to his story, four armed power agents kept journalists on the road for more than an hour, not allowing them to move on.

"They wanted to take us away to some ROVD (District Interior Division), but we categorically refused to go. Then, they said that we were foreigners working without accreditation. First of all, for some unknown reason, they took me for a foreigner, although I had all the documents on me confirming my personality and my Russian citizenship," said Israpil Shovkhalov, editor-in-chief of the "Dosh".

Let us remind you that it was Shovkhalov who managed to call the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent  right at the moment of detention and could say that "armed people took away our taxi driver and run to us." Immediately, the communication broke - people in uniform snatched the mobile phone away and threw it into the road mud.

"They treated us very rudely," Mr Shovkhalov recollects. "They threatened us, saying: "Nobody will help you, only if the God just comes down here, He will help you."

"Then, another car arrived to the place, also with no number plates. Its passengers knew about us; they told us rudely: go where you wanted to. Then, power agents left, leaving us in a complete shock. We stopped a car and called our relatives, asking for help," he continued.

"Anything could happen with us; we all know many cases when journalists and human rights activists disappeared in the Caucasus without traces. Power agents forced us to switch off our mobile phones and didn't allow making a call. Probably, they didn't take us away by force only because we were on a busy road with plenty of witnesses. They wanted to take away our dictaphones and photo cameras," said Abdullah Duduev.

A source close to the President's administration told that the correspondents' problems had probably arisen because Shovkhalov "does not look like a Chechen," and they took him for a foreigner.

When Kaloy Akhilgov, press secretary of the President of Ingushetia, learnt about the incident, he took measures to find the journalists; while law enforcement bodies made a check of the kidnapping attempt. The check proved to be fruitless; however, Mr Akhilgov is convinced that the power agents who tried to intimidate the journalists were "guest performers". He writes about it in his blog and promises to clear out who the attackers had been.

Now journalists are in a safe place. They have appointment with the Ingush President; and they want to tell him about the incident.