British citizen kidnapped in Chechnya after visiting relatives

Magomed Abubakarov, a citizen of the United Kingdom (UK), has been detained by law enforcers at his mother's home in Urus-Martan, his female relative has informed. Before leaving Russia, Abubakarov was tortured and convicted for assisting militants, his acquaintance has added.

Magomed Abubakarov, who came from the UK to visit his family, has been kidnapped and groundlessly held by law enforcers.

On May 15, Magomed and his family arrived in Urus-Martan to visit his mother, his relative has explained. At night on June 1, unknown armed men, who introduced themselves as law enforcers, took Magomed away from his mother's home. "Law enforcers explain nothing to us; and they wouldn't let the hired advocate to visit him," the female relative has reported.

Magomed's kidnapping may have to do with his persecution in 2009, his acquaintance has suggested. According to his version, Abubakarov, who at that time was barely 18 years old, was kidnapped and tortured on suspicion of assisting Chechen militants. Later he was sentenced to 1.3 years in colony for helping an illegal armed formation (IAF).

The "Caucasian Knot" has also reported that the 28-year-old Idris Arsamikov, who returned from the Netherlands to Russia for his father's funeral, was detained at the Moscow airport, when he was trying to fly out of Russia, and handed over to Chechen law enforcers. Chat messages posted on behalf of Arsamikov give no grounds to claim that he is alive, human rights defenders have pointed out.