Document - Russian Federation: Zelimkhan Murdalov has not been seen since January 2001 (Postcard)

Russian Federation:

Zelimkhan Murdalov has not been seen since January 2001

[photo caption]

Zelimkhan Murdalov has not been seen since January 2001

Dear President Vladimir Putin,

Zelimkhan Murdalov, a 26-year-old student from Grozny, left his home on 2 January 2001, saying he would be back soon, but did not return. His parents tracked him down at the police station, where an official promised that he would soon be released, but they have not seen their son since. It emerged in court that he was tortured in

detention, then taken away by police. In March 2005 Lieutenant Sergei Lapin was sentenced to 11 years’ imprisonment for the torture of Zelimkhan Murdalov, but his conviction is under review.

Zelimkhan is one of thousands of people who have become victims of enforced disappearances in Chechnya, causing unending agony for their relatives. Virtually none of the 2,000 investigations have produced any results, and relatives seeking justice often face reprisals and intimidation.

I urge you to: make the official list of missing people public; ensure that all enforced disappearances, including Zelimkhan Murdalov’s, are investigated effectively; establish an autopsy service in Chechnya; and provide protection from intimidation for witnesses and relatives.

Yours sincerely,

Name:

Address:

Signature:

IT’S NOT TOO LATE FOR JUSTICE!

Please

affix

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Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin

Prezidentu Rossiiskoi Federatsii

4 Staraya Square