Resident of Chechnya charged with attacking Pskov paratroopers

A charge of attacking Pskov paratroopers in 2000 has been put forward against Alavdi Batykaev, a Chechen resident. He denies his guilt, and his advocate states that there are no proofs of his participation in the attack, the "Memorial" Human Rights Defence Centre reports.

Relatives of the 63-year-old Alavdi Batykaev have turned to the above "Memorial" Centre. In July 2022, Alavdi was informed that an error had occurred during the delineation of his land plot, and that he needed to come to Pyatigorsk to correct it. Upon arrival, he was detained by law enforcers; his phone was taken away, but he was allowed to contact his brother.

According to investigators, no later than September 1999, Batykaev joined the above militants' gang; he studied weapons in the militant camp "Kavkaz Islamic Institute".

In 2000, he moved to his relatives in the village of Vedeno because of the hostilities in Grozny. When federal troops entered the village, the head of the administration persuaded Batykaev to apply to authorities for amnesty. He got hold of a submachine gun, handed it over to militaries, and he was granted amnesty.

His advocate has noted that on June 6, 2003, the Russian State Duma adopted a resolution according to which all those who had voluntarily surrendered their weapons were amnestied. Besides, according to the advocate, there are no objective proofs of his client's guilt.