Ingushetia: criminal cases opened against two opposition leaders

Criminal cases on suspicion of attempting to seize firearms from employees of law enforcement bodies have been initiated against Maksharip Aushev and Magomed Khazbiev, leaders of the Ingush opposition.

"They accuse me and Maksharip Aushev of taking away firearms and IDs from the MIA's agents who took part in detaining Magomed Evloev," said Magomed Khazbiev, Ingush oppositionist and head of the nationwide protest rally. As he said, he and Aushev had learnt about initiation of criminal cases "from the MIA's newswire," the "Interfax" Agency reports.

The charges were presented to Khazbiev and Aushev on the basis of applications filed by militiamen Albogachiev and Ozdoev, who assert that the oppositionists "inflicted bodily injuries on them and took away their personal firearms and IDs." These applications were submitted by Albogachiev and Ozdoev after those submitted by the oppositionists to the Investigatory Committee at the Prosecutor's Office of Ingushetia, in which Khazbiev and Aushev had stated that could precisely identify the murderers of Magomed Evloev.

The case on causing an accidental death to Evloev was opened against an unidentified person. Although at the same time, the MIA has stated that Magomed Evloev's killer is hidden, since "he is in danger because of the blood vengeance tradition," the "Ingushetia.Ru" Internet edition writes.