Chechnya: 145 criminal cases against servicemen

Since the outset of the counter-terrorist operation in Chechnya, the number of criminal proceedings instituted against servicemen who are suspected of action to the detriment of local residents has reached 145, said Military Prosecutor-General Alexander Savenkov when attending Thursday a meeting between Prosecutor-General Ustinov and Lord Judd, a co-chairman of the joint working group of the State Duma and PACE.

Alexander Savenkov supplied the following statistics. Under trial at military courts are 66 defendants. Investigation has been completed in relation to 12 murder cases, 16 theft actions and 8 instances of violation of military car driving rules. There are four officers among 34 convicted persons. Investigation into 18 cases is being continued.

Military prosecutors in Grozny are busy receiving complaints from the population without any restrictions, according to Savenkov. Besides, they see to it that the rights of servicemen are observed. It is in hard conditions that military prosecutors work in Chechnya, said Savenkov.