Nazran/Agency Caucasus – Chief Ingush Prosecutor Yuri Turigin has warned that as illegal formations of armed forces keep happening, instability is likely to hit the whole of North Caucasus soon.
Turigin joined a meeting with the prime minister and the deputy prosecutor of the Southern Federal District of the Russian Federation. He said that in the first nine months of 2008, a total of 1546 crimes were committed in Ingushetiya, a country with a population of almost 500 000. He added that there was a 31 percent increase in crime rate, 44 percent in serious damage to health, 36 percent in illegal use of weapons and 100 percent in bandit crimes.
There was an alarming rise in the number of attacks against security forces and soldiers, Turigin said: "There has been a twofold increase in such attacks this year. Attacks against security guards have left 62 dead and 161 wounded this year. Strikes at security guards, state officials and civilians are aimed at proving security forces of Ingushetiya helpless. We should not stay where we have reached; we should rather join forces in our fight against crimes."
Turigin declined to speak about illegal actions such as acts of violence in which some security forces got involved, excessive use of force, raids and searches carried out with unlimited freedom, kidnappings, torture and execution without due process.
Over the past few years, Ingushetiya has become a country where violence prevails all throughout.
KU/ÖZ/FT
