Another Dead Journalist

[Misha]

Kremlin critic shot dead in southern Russia

MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- A leading critic of Kremlin-backed leaders in the Russian republic of Ingushetia was fatally shot Sunday while being taken to a police precinct by officers, Reporters without Borders said.

Yevloyev was a critic of regional President Murat Zyazikov (left), seen here with Vladimir Putin.

The authorities in the volatile province in southern Russia said Magomed Yevloyev was shot in the head accidentally while resisting arrest, the Paris-based non-governmental organization reported.

Officials have launched a probe, according to the Russian news agency Interfax.

Yevloyev was the owner of Ingushetiya.ru, a Web site that frequently took to task local leaders in Ingushetia, a small Russian republic bordering Chechnya in the North Caucasus, just north of Georgia.

According to The Associated Press, the site's deputy editor Ruslan Khautiyev said that Yevloyev arrived in Ingushetia from Moscow on Sunday on the same plane as regional President Murat Zyazikov. He said the police blocked the jet on the runway after it landed in Ingushetia's provincial capital, Magas, boarded the plane and took Yevloyev off.

Yevloyev was then whisked away in a car and later dumped at the side of a road with a gunshot wound to the head, he said.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/09/01/russia.critic.killed/index.html.

[Shadow]

Local police claimed that Yevloyev was shot after he had attempted to grab an assault rifle from one of the police officers in the car.

This has been now changed to 'an incident occurred'.

[Misha]

This has been now changed to 'an incident occurred'.

Well, they can call being shot in the head an "incident" but most will understand the "incident" for what it really is: an example of the brutal violence that characterizes Russian rule in the Caucuses.

[Shadow]

Well, they can call being shot in the head an "incident" but most will understand the "incident" for what it really is: an example of the brutal violence that characterizes Russian rule in the Caucuses.

Not if the claim from the local police officers was true.

[roykirk]

Not if the claim from the local police officers was true.

I assume you are playing devil's advocate?  Because I'd have an easier time believing that his head mysteriously exploded.

[Shadow]

I assume you are playing devil's advocate?  Because I'd have an easier time believing that his head mysteriously exploded.

Yes, as I believe not even the Russian politicians would be so careless as to kill a guy in police custody.
If the death of a journalist is done is such an open way, it means either that something we might not find out happened that needed a public display, or that it was an accident. The FSB is well-known to be much more subtle.

[wxman]

Even if the police report is correct, which I highly doubt, why does his body have to be dumped at the side of the road if he is in police custody?

[Shadow]

Even if the police report is correct, which I highly doubt, why does his body have to be dumped at the side of the road if he is in police custody?

Exactly... it does not add up that the police try to arrest a guy, kill him (accidentally or not) and then dump him at the side of the road.
One would even wonder if the police officers were truly police, or just borrowed the uniforms....

[wxman]

Exactly... it does not add up that the police try to arrest a guy, kill him (accidentally or not) and then dump him at the side of the road.
One would even wonder if the police officers were truly police, or just borrowed the uniforms....

It's called being made an example of, and it was intended for everyone to see. That's how the Mafia works, and in Russia, the Mafia is called the government. No doubt is was someone working for regional President Murat Zyazikov. Whether they were police or not, doesn't matter. They likely worked for  Zyazikov, who is an employee of the government. Hence killed by the government.

[Shadow]

It's called being made an example of, and it was intended for everyone to see. That's how the Mafia works, and in Russia, the Mafia is called the government. No doubt is was someone working for regional President Murat Zyazikov. Whether they were police or not, doesn't matter. They likely worked for  Zyazikov, who is an employee of the government. Hence killed by the government.

People are not made an example of by the mafia just because they do not like them or they have a website.
There is probably a much more severe reason, and probably people who live in the area will know it. Like very big secret in Russia, local people know all.

[Shadow]

A very different account of the story...and not less disturbing.

http://www.kommersant.com/p1018915/r_527/Evloev_killed/

Ingushetia’s Opposition Leader Didn’t Survive Bullet Meeting
Owner of opposition Ingushetia.ru web, Magomed Evloev was killed in Ingushetia yesterday, August 31, 2008, soon after the police detained him in Magas airport. The official explanation is that a policeman shot Evloev by accident, when the latter attempted to pull out a gun from him. But the opposition in Ingushetia insists it was the intended killing and threatens to set to collecting signatures for withdrawing from Russia if the murder isn’t properly investigated.
Evloev, who had been mostly staying in Western Europe recently, had decided to fly home for a day. He was to return Monday. According to Evloev’s mate and All-Nation Meeting Organizational Committee Chairman Magomed Khazbiev, the jet of Moscow-Ingushetia flight with Evloev aboard landed at 1:30 p.m. Of interest is that Ingushetia’s President Murat Zyazikov was in the same plane.

Zyazikov, who was the first to descend, stepped into one of the cars waiting for him near the airstairs. “In a few minutes after the departure of president’s motorcade, another cavalcade of armored cars drove up to the plane – two UAZ cars and four Volgas. Armed to-the-teeth policemen poured out of the cars. Interior Minister Musa Medov was among them. Having seen Magomed Evloev, the policemen went for him to drag into the UAZ,” Khazbiev said.

It was the action-thriller then. Relatives and friends of Evloev rushed to rescue him, breaking glass doors and pushing away airport guards, to no avail though. The police fired down a few bursts and escaped with Evloev by emergency route.

After leaving the airport, the police divided into two groups, the first heading for Troitskoe village, and the second moving to the Caucasus road, towards Nazran. The opposition followed the Nazran lead, supposing Evloev would be put into detention facilities there.

They caught up with the police near the turn to Nazran, cutting two Volgas from the motorcade by ramming. But Evloev wasn’t there. The opposition fighters pulled policemen out of the cars, beat them and took away their guns and identity papers. “No blood on us; this is none of our doing,” the frightened policemen were crying.

It emerged later on that they were speaking of Magomed, who had been killed in the car, Khazbiev said.

The activists drove to Nazran in the next effort to attack the police there. But it made no sense, as Evloev that had been deathly wounded in the airport was in the resuscitation department of the Central Hospital of Nazran. He was operated, but the operation didn’t save him.

A criminal case was opened on count of reckless killing, spokesman of the RF prosecutors announced yesterday, specifying that the accident happened in the police car en route to the police station.

But guess what ? The story continues...http://postmanpatel.blogspot.com/
Then the activists decided to drive on to Nazran to attack the police there. However Evloev had been accidentally shot in the car and transferred to the Central Hospital in Nazran but rescuciation and and operation failed to save his life.

Ingushetiya.ru ran a story that the Police shot him and then dumped him on the road with a gunshot wound in the head. Today, more than 1,200 people came out to rally at his funeral, demanding a transparent inquiry into his death. WSJ also run a story based on this.

The dumping on the road seems to have been a fabricated addition to the event by the supporters of the killed 'journalist'.

A very different person, but the name and circumstances of death seem familiar...
http://eng.mvdrf.ru/news/586/
News
29.06.2004
Shamil Basaev’s Close Associate Liquidated in Ingushetia

Notorious militant Magomed Evloev, a mastermind behind the recent terrorist raids on the republic, has been killed in the Dalakovo village of the Nazran district, Ingushetia.
He resisted arrest with arms and was killed by return fire, MVDinform.ru has been told in the Northern Caucasus Counter-Terrorist Regional Operations HQ.

A rocket launcher, an AK assault rifle, a pistol, 4 grenades and an ammunition vest were found in the house where the militant had been hiding. 
Magomed Evloev was Shamil Basaev’s henchman, the source pointed out. Besides, he had tight contacts with Arab mercenaries – among them infamous field commander Abu al-Valid. Acting on his order, Evloev arrived in Ingushetia in late 2003 to take the post as “Emir” of the local wahhabi  jamaats and head the local militants. 
HQ’s records attest to his involvement in scores of acts of terrorism, murders and robberies. He is also said to have masterminded a lot of kidnappings to extort ransoms from the captives’ relatives. For instance, in late 2001, he plotted an abduction of a group of international power specialists.

The source also noted that as a rule, Evloev’s militants committed their crimes wearing military or militia uniforms.

[wxman]

People are not made an example of by the mafia just because they do not like them or they have a website.

Ah, yes they are.  Most times they just break your knee caps, blow up your car, threaten your life, threaten your family, if they don't like you. They kill you if you know too much. A web site might just have enough information on them that they do not like. One way to shut down the web site, kill the top guy. 

[Shadow]

Ah, yes they are.  Most times they just break your knee caps, blow up your car, threaten your life, threaten your family, if they don't like you. They kill you if you know too much. A web site might just have enough information on them that they do not like. One way to shut down the web site, kill the top guy. 

wxman the mafia in Russia is not the Italian or the American mafia.
Did you get the chance to watch a series called 'brigada' ?

[wxman]

wxman the mafia in Russia is not the Italian or the American mafia.
Did you get the chance to watch a series called 'brigada' ?

Never got to see that. Is it available on DVD?

[wxman]

Speaking of movies, which I'm really go off topic here, have you seen American Gangster? Great movie about Frank Lucas who was a black gangster that was even more powerful than the Italian mafia in New York during the late 60s and early 70s. Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe star in it, and it based on a true story. Frank Lucas had the New York City police department on his payroll. The guy was worth a billion dollars when he was arrested 35 years ago.

[Shadow]

Never got to see that. Is it available on DVD?

Not sure. I know it has been sold to Italy for display on TV, but I do not know if it was otherwise sold outside Russia.
It shows the rise of a Russian mafia group with as background the political developments in the FSU from 1989 to 2001.

The series has received a lot of support, including from MrsShadow who has described it as close to the real world as it gets shown on TV.
It includes the FSB backing, impact on business, politics and militia. And as it is a Russian series, in the end nearly everyone dies...

[Misha]

Exactly... it does not add up that the police try to arrest a guy, kill him (accidentally or not) and then dump him at the side of the road. One would even wonder if the police officers were truly police, or just borrowed the uniforms....

Or maybe they were Georgians ordered by Saakashvili to impersonate police officers to kill the journalist to make Russia look bad internationally....  :evil:

[Shadow]

Or maybe they were Georgians ordered by Saakashvili to impersonate police officers to kill the journalist to make Russia look bad internationally....  :evil:

If you read the rest of the story you will already see that the 'dumped by the road' part is fabricated. 

[Ronnie]

If you read the rest of the story you will already see that the 'dumped by the road' part is fabricated. 

Actually shadow, that story was clearly written from a pro-russian view point so who know what's fabricated.  I did want to comment on your statement that the FSB is more subtle.  I somehow never before equated FSB/KGB operations with the word "subtle."  Quite to the contrary.  FSB/KGB like their brutality to be seen.  It bolsters the fear and fear is their stock in trade.

[Shadow]

Actually shadow, that story was clearly written from a pro-russian view point so who know what's fabricated.  I did want to comment on your statement that the FSB is more subtle.  I somehow never before equated FSB/KGB operations with the word "subtle."  Quite to the contrary.  FSB/KGB like their brutality to be seen.  It bolsters the fear and fear is their stock in trade.

Ronnie I checked the story development on multiple Russian and English sites, as the murder took place on August 31.
In the early news there was no mentioning of Evloev being dumped by the road, and Ingushetia was the first one to mention it.

Regarding operations of the FSB, please give me examples of their actions which were not from movies.

[Ronnie]

Ronnie I checked the story development on multiple Russian and English sites, as the murder took place on August 31.
In the early news there was no mentioning of Evloev being dumped by the road, and Ingushetia was the first one to mention it.

Regarding operations of the FSB, please give me examples of their actions which were not from movies.

Shall we start with the Red Terror or some other date?

[Shadow]

Shall we start with the Red Terror or some other date?

As I am talking about the FSB, the Red Terror is not inside their existence.
The KVD/KGB as predecessors have been documented, though after Stalin times have hardly been as prominent as you seem to think.

[BC]

Well if they listen to telephone conversations, monitor email and even this forum without oversight, do not have to divulge any information to anyone, whisk citizens out of their home country to parts unknown, waterboard, aim dogs at soft bodily parts and say 'fetch', fake executions or actually carry them through..

I really don't care what you call them.. KVD, KGB, FSB, CIA - they are all the same to me.

[wxman]

Well if they listen to telephone conversations, monitor email and even this forum without oversight, do not have to divulge any information to anyone, whisk citizens out of their home country to parts unknown, waterboard, aim dogs at soft bodily parts and say 'fetch', fake executions or actually carry them through..

I really don't care what you call them.. KVD, KGB, FSB, CIA - they are all the same to me.

And they all knew you were going to say that! 

[Ronnie]

As I am talking about the FSB, the Red Terror is not inside their existence.
The KVD/KGB as predecessors have been documented, though after Stalin times have hardly been as prominent as you seem to think.

The secret police has changed names many times but today's incarnation still celebrate December 20th, the day Lenin set up the Cheka.  Putin and his FSB buddies love to call themselves chekists.  So no, the Red Terror is not outside the FSB's existence but in name only.

Not prominent today? How much more prominent can you get than today's total and unfettered control over the country, both in government and in business.  Putin has filled over two thousand positions in government and business with his KGB gang members.