Ezhiev: militants convicted for diversions in Chechnya gave their evidences under torture

Mikael Ezhiev, leader of the NGO named "Human Rights Centre of the Chechen Republic" has stated that residents of Chechnya Salavatov, Matsiev, Dzhantemirov and Khabibulaev, sentenced last week by the Supreme Court of Chechnya to long terms of imprisonment, gave their evidences of guilt under torture.

At the hearings on this case held in Grozny Mikael Ezhiev acted in the capacity of a public defender.

"There are no real proofs of Sultan Matsiev's, Dokku Dzhantemirov's, Shamsuddin Salavatov's and Viskhan Khabibulaev's guilt of their incriminated crimes. The court, as well as the investigation, relied on only one evidentiary - the convicts' own evidences that they had given under torture at the ORB-2 (Operative-Search Bureau, - comment of the "Caucasian Knot"). Nevertheless, the court has found it possible to sentence three defendants (Salavatov, Matsiev, Dzhantemirov, - comment of the "Caucasian Knot") to life imprisonment, and Khabibulaev - to eight and a half years of strict custody colony," said Mr Ezhiev.

"Same as my colleagues-human rights defenders and defendants' advocates, I find this verdict to be ungrounded. In this context, we (the "Human Rights Centre of the Chechen Republic" and defendants' advocates, - comment of the "Caucasian Knot") plan to apply to the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation and demand reconsideration of this criminal case. Should we fail to reach any positive result, we reserve the right to file a complaint to the European Court for Human Rights," said Mikael Ezhiev.

Last week, the Supreme Court of the Chechen Republic reiterated its verdict of guilty to the participants of the so-called "Ichkeria Air Defence" Sultan Matsiev, Dokku Dzhantemirov, Shamsuddin Salavatov and Viskhan Khabibulaev. They were accused of committing a whole range of diversions, as a result of which 150 Russian militaries were lost.