Caucasus Times

9 August 2003

Angry locals of Urus-Martan, Groznensky districts at mass protest gathering

On August 7, the inhabitants of Alkhazurovo and Alkhan-Yurt villages of Urus-Martan, Groznensky districts in Chechnya reportedly have held a massive protest action.

The protest gatherings came right after recent abuses perpetrated by Russian militaries in these villages. The inhabitants reported of the night of August 7 when the servicemen arbitrarily detained and took away a local man, as well as two private houses being burned down in Alkhan-Yurt during a sweep resulted in several locals suffered including a child.

Therefore, the indignant inhabitants of the two neighboring villages gathered spontaneously for protest meeting. Alkhazurovo locals completely blocked the highway traffic nearby their village. At the same time people from Alkhan-Yurt set up a line of people to obstruct the passage at Rostov-Baku highway.

"We demand to stop ongoing violations and terror against civilian inhabitants, so they could have a relief and peace," said Sovdat Tazabayeva, a 50-year-old local woman of Alkhan-Yurt. "Every day those 'sweeps', 'special task operations' etc. keep on going. Just yesterday, the militaries set two houses on fire while on 'sweeping' the village. In one of the houses set in ablaze the Saigirayevs lived with their 2- year-old child. They have survived just by a miracle, receiving several burns. We've all had it with it!"

The inhabitants of Alkhan-Yurt said they couldn't hold out much longer. "They've gone too far brazenly burning the houses down what turned out the last straw. And I won't blame on the people for their anger," said an employee of the local administration. "Why on earth did the burn the houses?" I questioned a serviceman for reasons and his reply was this: "You f... off and don't stick your nose in it," but then deigned to tell me there were militants hiding out in the houses. Why not to detain militants instead of leaving those two families homeless? Such actions of the military are stoking hostility toward Russian servicemen. Now people demand the perpetrators should be held accountable. So how shall we punish them?"

The locals of Alkhan-Yurt village had been protesting for several hours when in the afternoon the Chechen police and Russian soldiers appeared at the scene and forced the protesters to leave the site.

At the same time, the inhabitants of Alkhazurovo, decided to cease their action after the prosecutor's office employees and local authorities, had solemnly promised to release the abducted young man. However, the locals inform, if the detainee will no be released, the people start the protest action again.

Ruslan Adayev, Chechnya Caucasus Times