Islam Umarpashaev, kidnapped last year in Chechnya, released

The Inter-Regional Committee Against Torture (IRCAT) has managed to release Islam Umarpashaev, kidnapped on December 11, 2009, from his own house by unknown armed people in camouflage.

As reported by the Committee, within three months after Umarpashaev's disappearance and until the last moment, representatives of the Russian state kept saying that they "were no capable" to establish the whereabouts of the kidnapped person.

The relatives of the kidnapped young man addressed for help to the prosecutor's office and the IRCAT, where the experts sent an urgent complaint in the interests of the kidnapped person to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).

Already in 24 hours after reception of the complaint the ECtHR sent an emergency letter to the authorities of the Russian Federation, asking a number of questions concerning the kidnapping of Islam Umarpashaev.

However, on February 24, 2010, an ECtHR also received an answer from the Russian Federation saying that "it was not obviously possible" to establish Umarpashaev's whereabouts.

Nevertheless, on April 8, 2010, according to the IRCAT, Islam Umarpashaev was released. Nowadays he is outside the territory of the Chechen Republic; in the near future he is going to narrate the details of his kidnapping and conditions of his custody.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the ECtHR had awarded the priority status to the Islam Umarpashaev's kidnapping case; therefore, the IRCAT expressed hope that the investigatory bodies of the Chechen Republic would strain all efforts to conduct an efficient inquiry to find Islam, "in order not to admit another shameful Russia's defeat in Strasbourg."

Let us remind you that as it was reported by head of the ICPO Alexander Bastrykin early in March this year, a special division was set up for investigating kidnappings in Chechnya at the Regional Department of the Investigatory Committee at the Prosecutor's Office (ICPO) of the Russian Federation, which will work in close interaction with the relatives of kidnapped persons.