According to the Ingushetiyaru.org website, on March 23rd, at about 11:30am in Nazran, Ingushetia, around 100 demonstrators blocked the roundabout at the intersection of Bazorkin and Oskanov Street, as a sign of protest against abductions.

Most of the participants were relatives of Ilez Gorchkhanov, an inhabitant of the village of Plievo who was abducted on March 21. The demonstrators held banners made in haste saying ”Give us back our son”, ”Stop the terror”, and so on. Within minutes a unit of the Ingushetian police arrived at the site of the protest.

The Nazran OVD head Movsar Tambiev was the first official to engage in negotiations with Gorchkhanov’s relatives. The situation heated up and the policemen ensuring Tambiev’s security started to push aside some people surrounding the head of the local police, when a fight started and a shot rang out. The tensions were eased and the negotiations resumed. Soon, Isa Gireev, the deputy minister of the Ingushetian MVD, Bekkhan Atigov, the acting secretary of the Security Council of the Republic of Ingushetia, as well as other high ranking officials of the MVD of the republic soon arrived. The demonstrators were asked to disperse and were promised that all the possible measures would be taken in order to determine Ilez Gorchkhanov’s exact location. However, the demonstrators requested an immediate answer. At that time, the policemen used force to disperse the protesters.

At about 1:00 pm, the officials’ ranks, armed with shields and batons, started to force the people back to the side of the road. Simultaneously, the siloviks shot in the air. The demonstrators then threw stones at the police forces, and at least three people were arrested, while at least ten people were seriously injured because of baton and gun butt blows. The famous Ingush public figure Magomed Khazbiev and his brother, as well as some women, were among the injured.

For 10 to 15 minutes, the pavement was blocked and controlled by the siloviks and people gathered on the sidewalk. The representatives of the direction of the MVD of Ingushetia came once again to Gorchkhanov’s relatives. During the conversation, the Gorchkhanovs asked for the release of the young people who had been arrested during the demonstration. A skirmish ensued between the policemen and the young people. After that, Ilez Gorchkhanov’s father asked the demonstrators to go home.

Some photos from the protest:

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