Zelimkhan Murdalov was a

student A student is a person enrolled in a school or other educational institution. In the United Kingdom and most commonwealth countries, a "student" attends a secondary school or higher (e.g., college or university); those in primary or elementar ...

from

Grozny, Chechnya Grozny ( rus, Грозный, p=ˈgroznɨj; ce, Соьлжа-ГӀала, translit=Sölƶa-Ġala), also spelled Groznyy, is the capital city of Chechnya, Russia. The city lies on the Sunzha River. According to the Russian Census (2010), 2010 ...

, who left his home on 2 January 2001, saying he would return but never did. His parents tracked him down at the police station, where an official promised that he would soon be released, but they have not seen their son since. According to witnesses, Murdalov was subsequently severely tortured while in police custody. His case was first brought to the public prominence by the September 2001 ''

Novaya Gazeta ''Novaya Gazeta'' ( rus, Новая газета, t=New Gazette, p=ˈnovəjə ɡɐˈzʲetə) is an independent Russian newspaper known for its critical and investigative coverage of Russian political and social affairs. It is published in Mo ...

'' article "The Disappearance" by Anna Politkovskaya.

Background

On 7 January 2001, a criminal investigation was opened into Murdalov's disappearance. The investigation found that on 3 January 2001, Murdalov was taken into a cell in the district police of Oktyabrsky district of Grozny by Lapin and another unidentified official; there Lapin had beaten Murdalov with a truncheon and subjected him to

electric shock Electrical injury is a physiological reaction caused by electric current passing through the body. The injury depends on the density of the current, tissue resistance and duration of contact. Very small currents may be imperceptible or produce ...

treatment. Witnesses told the court that while in the cell, Murdalov could hardly stand and lost consciousness several times; his arm was broken, his ear torn and he had received concussion to his head. The next day Lapin and some colleagues took Murdalov out of the cell; since then his fate and whereabouts remain unknown. It emerged in court that he was tortured in detention in an attempt to turn him into an informant. In 2005 and again in 2007, former OMON officer Sergei Lapin was sentenced to prison for the torture of Zelimkhan Murdalov.

Disappearance and aftermath

According to

Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and sup ...

Zelimkhan Murdalov is one of thousands of people who have become victims of forced disappearances in Chechnya. Virtually none of the investigations have produced any results, and relatives seeking justice often face reprisals and intimidation.Russian Federation: Zelimkhan Murdalov has not been seen since January 2001

, 23 May 2007

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Murdalov, Zelimkhan 1975 births 2000s missing person cases Deaths by person in Russia Missing person cases in Russia War crimes of the Second Chechen War

Background

Disappearance and aftermath

See also

References