Russian ombudsman office reps to study criminal inquiries based on missing local residents' reports in Chechnya - Moskalkova
MOSCOW. Sept 19 (Interfax) - Russian ombudsman office's employees have departed for Chechnya to scrutinize criminal inquiries opened on the basis of the reports about people missing in the republic, ombudsman Tatyana Moskalkova said on her Instagram account.
"As of now, ombudsman office employees have gone to the Chechen Republic Interior Ministry to study criminal inquiries opened on the basis of petitions reporting about missing people," Moskalkova said.
These are claims, which Moskalkova has been receiving from Novaya Gazeta, the ombudsman press service confirmed to Interfax.
The ombudsman also said that she had held a meeting, which dealt with petitions from people living in the republic, in Grozny together with Chechen human right ombudsman Nurdi Nukhazhiyev, representatives of the Russian Prosecutor General's Office, the Russian Investigative Committee and Chechen law enforcement agencies.
"We have thoroughly looked into each of them," ombudsman also said.
Novaya Gazeta and a number of rights campaigners have earlier reported about alleged facts of mass illegal detentions, tortures and murders of Chechen residents suspected of their homosexuality. Meanwhile, the edition reported about mass execution of people, which has allegedly taken place in the republic.
Moskalkova is currently on an official visit to Chechnya beginning on September 19.