Resident of Ordzhonikidzevskaya kidnapped in Ingushetia

In Ordzhonikidzevskaya (Slepsovskaya) village, Sunzha District of the Republic of Ingushetia, unidentified persons kidnapped a local resident Khamkhoev, Ismail Ibragimovich, 39, living at 21 Vygonnaya Street. On May 4, his wife - Lida Khamkhoevа - brought her written application to the representative office of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" in Nazran; the document gives details of her husband's kidnapping and asks for help in searching him.

According to Ms Khamkhoeva, on April 28 after midnight, unidentified persons knocked at the entrance of their house and ordered in the Ingush language to open the door. Ismail Khamkhoev obeyed. Several persons in masks and camouflage came in. They seized the man and took him out, while ordering Lida to stay inside. Ismail was forced into a "Gazel" minivan and taken away in an unknown direction, as reported by the HRC "Memorial".

Next morning, Lida Khamkhoevа addressed the ROVD (District Interior Division) of the Sunzha District. Militiamen offered her to wait for three day, but she insisted that they accept her application.

On April 30, Khamkhoevs were visited by employees of the Investigatory Division for Sunzha District of the Investigatory Department of the Russian Investigatory Committee at the Prosecutor's Office (ICPO) for Ingushetia. They said that a criminal case had been initiated on the fact of Ismail's kidnapping and conducted some investigatory actions in the house.

Lida Khamkhoevа said that in November 2008 their house was searched by employees of federal power agencies. The owners were absent - they learnt about the search from their neighbours and local militiamen. During the search, documents were confiscated from Khamkhoevs' house. After a while, some of them were returned by a local militiaman. Lida Khamkhoeva's passport, as he said, was lost.

Lida Khamkhoevа asserts that in militia they were told that the search had been held by FSB agents by mistake. After that, Ismail was never summoned anywhere.

Ismail Khamkhoev works as a handyman in "Stroimarket" store in Ordzhonikidzevskaya village. According to his wife, he never had problems with the authority, and never hided from anybody.