22:54, 1 December 2004

Withdrawal of troops from Karachaevo-Cherkessia begins

The withdrawal of landing and assault forces from the Karachaevsky district of the Republic of Karachaevo-Cherkessia has begun today. The soldiers are returning to their permanent posts in Stavropol, chair of the anti-terrorist commission for Karachaevo-Cherkessia Andrey Kapustin announced. "The social and political situation in the republic has stabilized. And the necessity of extra military elements' being here is no longer relevant," Mr Kapustin said.

The troops were brought in Karachaevo-Cherkessia when riots and mass rallies with appeals to overthrow the power and a storm of the Government House of Karachaevo-Cherkessia took place in the republic. Among the demonstrators were relatives of seven residents of the republic who disappeared on the night of November 10-11. Later law enforcement agencies proved that they were killed in a villa of the son-in-law of President of Karachaevo-Cherkessia Mustafa Batdyev. Investigators have not discovered Mustafa Batdyev's involvement in the murder of the seven residents of Karachaevo-Cherkessia.

Author: Marina Kushpova, CK correspondent

Source: Caucasian Knot