CHECHNYA. Russian troops abducted a man from the village of Novye Atagi after
he had handed over his firearms to the public prosecutor of Shali district, Chechnya.
The Russia-Chechnya Friendship Society reported on 7 July that 34-year-old Aslambek
Azimov had voluntarily handed over his gun to the district prosecutor in April
this year. On 2 June this year he was taken back to the prosecutor's office to
receive a decision on the dismissal of any criminal case.
Azimov left the office and caught a shared taxi towards home. After the minibus
left the town of Shali, it was overtaken by an armoured UAZ vehicle belonging
to the federal troops. Military personnel stopped the minibus and forced all the
passengers to the ground. They then seized Azimov and took him to an unknown location.
For a whole month his relatives have been appealing to various official bodies
for help. Having received no information about her husband, Azimov's wife has
turned to the Russia-Chechnya Friendship Society for help.