According to publications from the “Kavkaz-Uzel” website, in Russian occupied Chechnya, two ostensible investigations about cases involving murder and kidnapping were closed due to a failure of identifying suspects in the crimes.

On July 7th, 2009, Khamzat Dzeitov left home for work, but there has been no news about him since then. Immediately after the disappearance, puppet regime prosecutors opened an investigation, and recently stated that they have closed the investigation because they think Khamzat joined a Chechen mujahedeen group. However, some eyewitness’ say that they saw Khamzat at a police station run by the puppet regime. Khamzat was also abducted from his home in January 2009 under the charges of providing food and aid to the Chechen mujahedeen. He was only released after a ransom was paid. According to his family, the only reason for the harassment is that Khamzat’s sister married a Chechen mujahed and left home. “One of the investigators told me that we will not get our son back unless we bring them our daughter,” said Akhmed Dzeitov, Khamzat’s father. Akhmed stressed that he does not know anything in reference to his daughter or son-in-law’s whereabouts. Khamzat’s mother Tamara is not convinced that her daughter is alive, “I have heard a few times that my daughter and son-in-law were killed. Why don’t they leave Khamzat alone? They can tell where he is,” said Tamara.

At the same time, another investigation about the murder of three brothers was also folded because investigators could not determine suspects in the crime. On December 1st, 2008, Akhtan, Alvi and Zurab Ilaev were abducted from their home by a group of Kadyrovites. Two days later, the corpses of Akhtan and Alvi were found at the city morgue showing signs of torture. On December 10th, Zurab’s dead body was found at a landfill in Grozny. He had been beaten and strangled. Chechen human rights defender Kheda Saratova believes that the investigation was not carried out properly. “Natalya Estemirova was working closely on the murder of the Ilaev brothers. After her death, it became clear that no one else would do anything and the investigation would be terminated,” said Saratova.

*Text was translated by Waynakh Online and edited by Michael Capobianco