Human rights group alleges Kremlin violations
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Russian authorities say that four civilians killed during operations in the North Caucasus were caught in the crossfire. But according to a human rights group, they were abducted, tortured and killed. The rights activists claim to have photos and witnesses. The Kremlin has yet to comment.
The authorities claim that the four civilians were accidentally caught in crossfire during a major operation against Islamic militants in Ingushetia, a region bordering Chechnya.
Aleksandr Cherkasov, head of human rights group Memorial, disputes the Kremlin's version of events, claiming the four civilians had multiple gunshot and knife wounds, all of which were photographed by local human rights activists.
The volatile situation in the North Caucasus region is a major domestic policy problem for Russia. Large-scale operations against the region’s militants are currently under way.
One of the most sought after people is Doku Umarov, the leader of the Chechen rebels. Umarov’s group have claimed responsibility for the derailing of the Moscow-St. Petersburg train in November 2009 that cost 26 lives, and said it caused the August 2009 collapse of a hydro-electric dam in Siberia, which killed 75 people.
Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov, seen as loyal to Moscow, has stepped up efforts to catch the militants. “I have issued orders to destroy Doku Umarov if he resists,” Kadyrov said.
Russian security forces have faced EU criticism for violence against citizens in the past, but have always denied the charges.
