Activists report reprisals against relatives of teenager killed in Achkhoi-Martan

The relatives of the teenager killed during an attack on a road-and-patrol police service (known as DPS) checkpoint in Achkhoi-Martan are having their property confiscated. The reprisals affected even distant relatives of the killed young man, as well as relatives of administrators and commentators of the opposition NIYSO Telegram channel.

Threats were also voiced against distant relatives of the attacker. A Telegram channel opposing to the Chechen authorities reported that the law enforcement bodies detained all the relatives of the attacker, including his underage cousins.

Relatives of the teenager killed in Achkhoi-Martan, including very distant ones, are being kidnapped, beaten, and deprived of their property, the opposition NIYSO Movement reported. The teenager’s father stays in extremely severe condition. According to the opposition Telegram channel’s information, “the man has got his arm, leg, and rib bones broken.”

It also became known that the kidnapped members of the Abubakirov, Duduev, Tankiev, and Mustafinov families were forced to sign unspecified documents. “It is most likely that the papers were supposed to legalize the process of confiscation of their property,” activists from the NIYSO Movement suggested.

“The families are being deprived of everything, including their houses, cars, equipment, bank accounts, and businesses. Several families are effectively left without a livelihood,” the NIYSO activists reported.

One of the Chechen human rights defenders has noted that there is every reason to fear for the lives of the kidnapped relatives of the killed young man.

Some of the detained relatives of the killed teenager were taken to Ingushetia, but they were later released, the NIYSO project administrator has reported.