Salman Raduyev
Encyclopedia
Salman Raduyev was a Chechen
separatist
warlord
considered to be one of the most radical and notorious Chechen rebel commanders of the period between 1994 and 1999. Arrested in 2000, he died in a Russia
n penal colony
in mysterious circumstances.
(clan) in Novogroznensky near Gudermes
in eastern Chechnya. During the early 1980s Raduyev was active in the communist youth league Komsomol
of which he eventually became a leader for the whole Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic
. After attending a high school in Gudermes, Raduyev served 1985-1987 in the Soviet Army
as a construction engineer in the Strategic Rocket Forces
unit stationed in the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, where he became a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
. After demobilization, he studied economy and worked in Soviet construction industry.
After Chechnya declared independence, he was appointed the prefect
of Gudermes in June 1992 by his father-in-law
, Dzhokhar Dudayev, who was the president of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria
. He also married the daughter of Dudayev's cousin.
Raduyev became a field commander for the separatist Chechen forces. He fought in the battle of Grozny and was wounded in March 1995 during an attempt to capture him by the Russian special forces
. In October 1995, he became one of the most important of the Chechen field commanders, commanding the 6th Brigade based in the strategically important Gudermessky District and responsible for the Gudermessky, part of the capital Grozny
and the town of Argun
. On December 14, 1995, Raduyev, along with Sultan Geliskhanov
, led a raid on the city of Gudermes.
On January 9, 1996, Raduyev, allegedly copying Shamil Basayev
's 1995 Budyonnovsk attack
, led a large-scale Kizlyar hostage taking raid
into neighbouring Russian region of Dagestan
, where his men took hostage at least 2,000 civilians. The raid, which made Raduyev world-famous, escalated into the all-out battle and ended with the complete destruction of the border village of Pervomayskoye, and other Chechen leaders criticised Raduyev. In March 1996, he was shot in the head and incorrectly reported dead; Russian special forces claimed to have "killed" him in revenge for the Kizlyar attack, while the other sources said he was shot in a Chechen feud
. In fact, Raduyev just disappeared as he went for medical treatment abroad.
to stop carrying out terrorist
operations (he claimed ordering bombings of trolleybuses in Moscow
and train stations in Armavir and Pyatigorsk
), despite the ceasefire and talks that would lead up to the Khasav-Yurt Accord
. He even accused Yandarbiyev of treason
for agreeing to ceasfire and threatened to attack him. Raduyev, his face deformed by injury and now hidden behind bushy red beard and black sunglasses, was the only field commander to announce openly that the "war without rules" with Russia would continue even despite the signing of the peace agreement.
In 1997, the newly elected Chechen president Aslan Maskhadov
stripped Raduyev from the rank of brigadier general
to private
. However, further action was blocked by a public opposition from a Raduyev-led war veterans, including a prolonged rally in Grozny. This rally ended in a shootout resulting in the deaths of both the commander of Raduyev's militia Vakha Dzhafarov and of the Chechen security forces chief Lechi Khultygov. Meanwhile, Raduyev kept claiming responsibility for every explosion in Russia, including even official gas leak
s. He claimed that Dudayev, who had died in 1996, has been still alive, and issuing orders to him from "a secret NATO base in Turkey
" with the goal of the "liberation" of entire North Caucasus
. Raduyev's eccentric behaviour was however not widely popular in Chechnya. Many openly doubted his sanity: in an interview in 1997, Maskhadov described Raduyev as "mentally ill"; even Basayev, who has been Raduyev's ally in the opposition against Maskhadov, reportedly called him "crazy". In October 1997, Raduyev was again severely injured by a car bomb
which killed three other people. Previously, he survived at least two other assassination attempts, in April and July 1997.
In May 1998, the Chechnya's Islamic court
sentenced Raduyev in absence to four years in prison for allegedly attempting to overthrow Maskhadov, but made no attempt to arrest him. In September 1998, Raduyev announced a "temporary moratorium" on acts of terrorism. As a sign of his good gesture towards Russia, Raduyev claimed that it was he who freed the nine kidnapped Russian servicemen from their captors. He also became conflicted with the Islamist
circles and called to ban "Wahhabism
" in Chechnya. In January 1999, he backed the republic's parliament in its conflict with the Sharia
Court. His private army-style militia, some 1,000-strong and called "General Dudayev's Army", was reportedly involved in several train robberies
.
In early 1999, Raduyev vanished from public again while undergoing a major plastic surgery
operation in Germany
, in effect acquiring a new face. The alleged implants of titanium
earned him the nickname of "Titanic" in Russia, while in Chechnya he became popularly known as "Michael Jackson", a reference to his plastic surgery. Still seriously ill and recovering from surgery, Raduyev had vowed "reprisal
s" against Russia for the March 1999 sentencing of two Chechen women. In September 1999, at the start of the Second Chechen War
, Raduyev organized a rally in Grozny attended by 12,000 people where he urged residents to stay home and prepare to defend the city. His militia was reported to be virtually destroyed in a series of serious setbacks during the early fighting in the late 1999. He stopped talking about new terrorist attacks that he was going to organize.
in his home in Novogroznensky; soon after his arrest he was shown on television clean shaven, after Russian guards had forcefully shaven his beard. The Russian president Vladimir Putin
said that Raduyev had confessed to trying to assassinate Eduard Shevardnadze
, the president of Georgia
.
Raduyev was tried on 18 different charges, including terrorism, banditry, hostage-taking, organization of murders and organization of illegal armed formations. He pleaded not guilty, maintained he was only following orders, claimed to suffer from no mental disorders whatsoever and said he hopes to be released from prison in some 10–12 years. Dozens of witness
es were called to testify, but many of the alleged victims of his actions had refused to participate. In December 2001, he was sentenced to life in prison. His appeal
was rejected by the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation
in April 2002.
from internal bleeding
. The Russian authorities said he was not beaten to death, but died due to a "serious and protracted diseases". Raduyev's body was not returned to his family because of a newly-introduced Russian law barring the release of bodies of people convicted (or accused) of terrorism.
The circumstances surrounding the death of Raduyev are not clear and according to his family and the separatists he was murdered in prison after he refused to talk about the accusations against Akhmed Zakayev
, then arrested in Denmark
. Kommersant
daily said that "the real reason for Raduev's death will probably never be known," while Vremya Novostei
suggested that, after being forced to give all the information requested from him, he was therefore "no longer needed" by the Russian authorities and killed. Amnesty International
has called for a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death but the request was ignored and his body not exhumed.
Salman Raduyev was survived by his wife and two sons – Dzhokhar and Salman, living abroad.
Chechnya
The Chechen Republic , commonly referred to as Chechnya , also spelled Chechnia or Chechenia, sometimes referred to as Ichkeria , is a federal subject of Russia . It is located in the southeastern part of Europe in the Northern Caucasus mountains. The capital of the republic is the city of Grozny...
separatist
Separatism
Separatism is the advocacy of a state of cultural, ethnic, tribal, religious, racial, governmental or gender separation from the larger group. While it often refers to full political secession, separatist groups may seek nothing more than greater autonomy...
warlord
Warlord
A warlord is a person with power who has both military and civil control over a subnational area due to armed forces loyal to the warlord and not to a central authority. The term can also mean one who espouses the ideal that war is necessary, and has the means and authority to engage in war...
considered to be one of the most radical and notorious Chechen rebel commanders of the period between 1994 and 1999. Arrested in 2000, he died in a Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n penal colony
Penal colony
A penal colony is a settlement used to exile prisoners and separate them from the general populace by placing them in a remote location, often an island or distant colonial territory...
in mysterious circumstances.
Early life
Raduyev was born in 1967 into the Gordaloy teipTeip
Teip is a Chechen and Ingush tribal organization or clan, self-identified through descent from a common ancestor and geographic location. There are about 130-233 teips...
(clan) in Novogroznensky near Gudermes
Gudermes
Gudermes is a town in the Chechen Republic, Russia, located on the Sunzha River east of Grozny. Population: 32,000 .Gudermes had a rural locality status until 1941. Later, it became a railroad junction between Rostov-on-Don, Baku, Astrakhan, and Mozdok. Gudermes is home for oil extraction...
in eastern Chechnya. During the early 1980s Raduyev was active in the communist youth league Komsomol
Komsomol
The Communist Union of Youth , usually known as Komsomol , was the youth division of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. The Komsomol in its earliest form was established in urban centers in 1918. During the early years, it was a Russian organization, known as the Russian Communist Union of...
of which he eventually became a leader for the whole Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic
Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic
The Chechen–Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, or Chechen–Ingush ASSR ;) was an autonomous republic within the Russian SFSR...
. After attending a high school in Gudermes, Raduyev served 1985-1987 in the Soviet Army
Soviet Army
The Soviet Army is the name given to the main part of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union between 1946 and 1992. Previously, it had been known as the Red Army. Informally, Армия referred to all the MOD armed forces, except, in some cases, the Soviet Navy.This article covers the Soviet Ground...
as a construction engineer in the Strategic Rocket Forces
Strategic Rocket Forces
The Strategic Missile Troops or Strategic Rocket Forces of the Russian Federation or RVSN RF , transliteration: Raketnye voyska strategicheskogo naznacheniya Rossiyskoy Federatsii, literally Missile Troops of Strategic Designation of the Russian Federation) are a military branch of the Russian...
unit stationed in the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, where he became a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
Communist Party of the Soviet Union
The Communist Party of the Soviet Union was the only legal, ruling political party in the Soviet Union and one of the largest communist organizations in the world...
. After demobilization, he studied economy and worked in Soviet construction industry.
After Chechnya declared independence, he was appointed the prefect
Prefect
Prefect is a magisterial title of varying definition....
of Gudermes in June 1992 by his father-in-law
Father-in-law
A parent-in-law is a person who has a legal affinity with another by being the parent of the other's spouse. Many cultures and legal systems impose duties and responsibilities on persons connected by this relationship...
, Dzhokhar Dudayev, who was the president of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria
Chechen Republic of Ichkeria
The Chechen Republic of Ichkeria is the unrecognized secessionist government of Chechnya. The republic was proclaimed in late 1991 by Dzokhar Dudayev, and fought two devastating wars between separatists and the Russian Federation which denounced secession...
. He also married the daughter of Dudayev's cousin.
Field commander
During the First Chechen WarFirst Chechen War
The First Chechen War, also known as the War in Chechnya, was a conflict between the Russian Federation and the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, fought from December 1994 to August 1996...
Raduyev became a field commander for the separatist Chechen forces. He fought in the battle of Grozny and was wounded in March 1995 during an attempt to capture him by the Russian special forces
Spetsnaz
Spetsnaz, Specnaz tr: Voyska specialnogo naznacheniya; ) is an umbrella term for any special forces in Russian, literally "force of special purpose"...
. In October 1995, he became one of the most important of the Chechen field commanders, commanding the 6th Brigade based in the strategically important Gudermessky District and responsible for the Gudermessky, part of the capital Grozny
Grozny
Grozny is the capital city of the Chechen Republic, Russia. The city lies on the Sunzha River. According to the preliminary results of the 2010 Census, the city had a population of 271,596; up from 210,720 recorded in the 2002 Census. but still only about two-thirds of 399,688 recorded in the 1989...
and the town of Argun
Argun River (Caucasus)
The Argun River flows through the northern Caucasus, Georgia, and the Chechen Republic of Russia. It is an affluent of the Sunzha and lies within the river basin of the Terek...
. On December 14, 1995, Raduyev, along with Sultan Geliskhanov
Sultan Geliskhanov
Sultan Geliskhanov is a former head of the state security service in the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria and a former field commander in the Chechen resistance against Russia.-Early life:...
, led a raid on the city of Gudermes.
On January 9, 1996, Raduyev, allegedly copying Shamil Basayev
Shamil Basayev
Shamil Salmanovich Basayev was a Chechen militant Islamist and a leader of the Chechen rebel movement.Starting as a field commander in the Transcaucasus, Basayev led guerrilla campaigns against the Russian troops for years, as well as launching mass-hostage takings of civilians, with his goal...
's 1995 Budyonnovsk attack
Budyonnovsk hospital hostage crisis
The Budyonnovsk hospital hostage crisis took place from 14 June to 19 June 1995, when a group of 80 to 200 Chechen terrorists led by Shamil Basayev attacked the southern Russian city of Budyonnovsk , some north of the border with the Russian republic of Chechnya...
, led a large-scale Kizlyar hostage taking raid
Kizlyar-Pervomayskoye hostage crisis
Rebel fighters led by Raduyev then entered the town itself, where they took 2,000 to 3,400hostages and held them at a local hospital, a nearby high-rise building and a bridge...
into neighbouring Russian region of Dagestan
Dagestan
The Republic of Dagestan is a federal subject of Russia, located in the North Caucasus region. Its capital and the largest city is Makhachkala, located at the center of Dagestan on the Caspian Sea...
, where his men took hostage at least 2,000 civilians. The raid, which made Raduyev world-famous, escalated into the all-out battle and ended with the complete destruction of the border village of Pervomayskoye, and other Chechen leaders criticised Raduyev. In March 1996, he was shot in the head and incorrectly reported dead; Russian special forces claimed to have "killed" him in revenge for the Kizlyar attack, while the other sources said he was shot in a Chechen feud
Feud
A feud , referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, or private war, is a long-running argument or fight between parties—often groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because one party perceives itself to have been attacked, insulted or wronged by another...
. In fact, Raduyev just disappeared as he went for medical treatment abroad.
Warlord
In the summer of 1996, Raduyev returned to the republic and refused the orders of the Chechnya's acting president Zelimkhan YandarbiyevZelimkhan Yandarbiyev
Zelimkhan Abdumuslimovich Yandarbiyev was a Chechen writer and a politician, who served as acting president of the breakaway Chechen Republic of Ichkeria between 1996 and 1997...
to stop carrying out terrorist
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
operations (he claimed ordering bombings of trolleybuses in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
and train stations in Armavir and Pyatigorsk
Pyatigorsk
Pyatigorsk is a city in Stavropol Krai on the Podkumok River, about from Mineralnye Vody. Since January 19, 2010 it has been the administrative center of the North Caucasian Federal District of Russia...
), despite the ceasefire and talks that would lead up to the Khasav-Yurt Accord
Khasav-Yurt Accord
Khasavyurt Accord was an agreement that marked the end of the First Chechen War, signed in Khasavyurt in Dagestan on August 30, 1996 between Alexander Lebed and Aslan Maskhadov....
. He even accused Yandarbiyev of treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
for agreeing to ceasfire and threatened to attack him. Raduyev, his face deformed by injury and now hidden behind bushy red beard and black sunglasses, was the only field commander to announce openly that the "war without rules" with Russia would continue even despite the signing of the peace agreement.
In 1997, the newly elected Chechen president Aslan Maskhadov
Aslan Maskhadov
Aslan Aliyevich Maskhadov was a leader of the Chechen separatist movement and the third President of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria.He was credited by many with the Chechen victory in the First Chechen War, which allowed for the...
stripped Raduyev from the rank of brigadier general
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
to private
Private (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
. However, further action was blocked by a public opposition from a Raduyev-led war veterans, including a prolonged rally in Grozny. This rally ended in a shootout resulting in the deaths of both the commander of Raduyev's militia Vakha Dzhafarov and of the Chechen security forces chief Lechi Khultygov. Meanwhile, Raduyev kept claiming responsibility for every explosion in Russia, including even official gas leak
Gas leak
In common usage, a gas leak refers to a leak of natural gas, from a pipe or other containment, into a living area or any other area where the gas should not be...
s. He claimed that Dudayev, who had died in 1996, has been still alive, and issuing orders to him from "a secret NATO base in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
" with the goal of the "liberation" of entire North Caucasus
North Caucasus
The North Caucasus is the northern part of the Caucasus region between the Black and Caspian Seas and within European Russia. The term is also used as a synonym for the North Caucasus economic region of Russia....
. Raduyev's eccentric behaviour was however not widely popular in Chechnya. Many openly doubted his sanity: in an interview in 1997, Maskhadov described Raduyev as "mentally ill"; even Basayev, who has been Raduyev's ally in the opposition against Maskhadov, reportedly called him "crazy". In October 1997, Raduyev was again severely injured by a car bomb
Car bomb
A car bomb, or truck bomb also known as a Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device , is an improvised explosive device placed in a car or other vehicle and then detonated. It is commonly used as a weapon of assassination, terrorism, or guerrilla warfare, to kill the occupants of the vehicle,...
which killed three other people. Previously, he survived at least two other assassination attempts, in April and July 1997.
In May 1998, the Chechnya's Islamic court
Islamic court
The term Islamic court or Islamic courts can mean:* a court that follows Islamic Sharia law* the Islamic Courts Union in Somalia...
sentenced Raduyev in absence to four years in prison for allegedly attempting to overthrow Maskhadov, but made no attempt to arrest him. In September 1998, Raduyev announced a "temporary moratorium" on acts of terrorism. As a sign of his good gesture towards Russia, Raduyev claimed that it was he who freed the nine kidnapped Russian servicemen from their captors. He also became conflicted with the Islamist
Islamism
Islamism also , lit., "Political Islam" is set of ideologies holding that Islam is not only a religion but also a political system. Islamism is a controversial term, and definitions of it sometimes vary...
circles and called to ban "Wahhabism
Wahhabism
Wahhabism is a religious movement or a branch of Islam. It was developed by an 18th century Muslim theologian from Najd, Saudi Arabia. Ibn Abdul Al-Wahhab advocated purging Islam of what he considered to be impurities and innovations...
" in Chechnya. In January 1999, he backed the republic's parliament in its conflict with the Sharia
Sharia
Sharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
Court. His private army-style militia, some 1,000-strong and called "General Dudayev's Army", was reportedly involved in several train robberies
Train robbery
Train robbery is a type of robbery, in which the goal is to steal money or other valuables being carried aboard trains.-History:Train robberies were more common in the past than today, and often occurred in the American Old West. Trains carrying payroll shipments were a major target...
.
In early 1999, Raduyev vanished from public again while undergoing a major plastic surgery
Plastic surgery
Plastic surgery is a medical specialty concerned with the correction or restoration of form and function. Though cosmetic or aesthetic surgery is the best-known kind of plastic surgery, most plastic surgery is not cosmetic: plastic surgery includes many types of reconstructive surgery, hand...
operation in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, in effect acquiring a new face. The alleged implants of titanium
Titanium
Titanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22. It has a low density and is a strong, lustrous, corrosion-resistant transition metal with a silver color....
earned him the nickname of "Titanic" in Russia, while in Chechnya he became popularly known as "Michael Jackson", a reference to his plastic surgery. Still seriously ill and recovering from surgery, Raduyev had vowed "reprisal
Reprisal
In international law, a reprisal is a limited and deliberate violation of international law to punish another sovereign state that has already broken them. Reprisals in the laws of war are extremely limited, as they commonly breached the rights of civilians, an action outlawed by the Geneva...
s" against Russia for the March 1999 sentencing of two Chechen women. In September 1999, at the start of the Second Chechen War
Second Chechen War
The Second Chechen War, in a later phase better known as the War in the North Caucasus, was launched by the Russian Federation starting 26 August 1999, in response to the Invasion of Dagestan by the Islamic International Peacekeeping Brigade ....
, Raduyev organized a rally in Grozny attended by 12,000 people where he urged residents to stay home and prepare to defend the city. His militia was reported to be virtually destroyed in a series of serious setbacks during the early fighting in the late 1999. He stopped talking about new terrorist attacks that he was going to organize.
Arrest and trial
Raduyev was captured in March 2000 by Russian special operations unit VympelVympel
Vympel , also known as KGB Directorate "B" ,Vega Group or Spetsgruppa V, Group B is a Russian special forces unit....
in his home in Novogroznensky; soon after his arrest he was shown on television clean shaven, after Russian guards had forcefully shaven his beard. The Russian president Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
said that Raduyev had confessed to trying to assassinate Eduard Shevardnadze
Eduard Shevardnadze
Eduard Shevardnadze is a former Soviet, and later, Georgian statesman from the height to the end of the Cold War. He served as President of Georgia from 1995 to 2003, and as First Secretary of the Georgian Communist Party , from 1972 to 1985. Shevardnadze was responsible for many top decisions on...
, the president of Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
.
Raduyev was tried on 18 different charges, including terrorism, banditry, hostage-taking, organization of murders and organization of illegal armed formations. He pleaded not guilty, maintained he was only following orders, claimed to suffer from no mental disorders whatsoever and said he hopes to be released from prison in some 10–12 years. Dozens of witness
Witness
A witness is someone who has firsthand knowledge about an event, or in the criminal justice systems usually a crime, through his or her senses and can help certify important considerations about the crime or event. A witness who has seen the event first hand is known as an eyewitness...
es were called to testify, but many of the alleged victims of his actions had refused to participate. In December 2001, he was sentenced to life in prison. His appeal
Appeal
An appeal is a petition for review of a case that has been decided by a court of law. The petition is made to a higher court for the purpose of overturning the lower court's decision....
was rejected by the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation
Supreme Court of the Russian Federation
The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation is the court of last resort in Russian administrative law, civil law and criminal law cases. It also supervises the work of lower courts. Its predecessor is the Supreme Court of the Soviet Union....
in April 2002.
Death
In December 2002, Raduyev died in the "White Swan" penal colony in SolikamskSolikamsk
Solikamsk is a town in Perm Krai, Russia. It is the third-largest town in Perm Krai, with a population of It was founded in 1430. The name of the town is derived from the Russian words "" and "" .It is famous for its production of salt, in particular, potassium chloride, which is used as a...
from internal bleeding
Internal bleeding
Internal bleeding is bleeding occurring inside the body. It can be a serious medical emergency depending on where it occurs , and can potentially cause death and cardiac arrest if proper medical treatment is not received quickly....
. The Russian authorities said he was not beaten to death, but died due to a "serious and protracted diseases". Raduyev's body was not returned to his family because of a newly-introduced Russian law barring the release of bodies of people convicted (or accused) of terrorism.
The circumstances surrounding the death of Raduyev are not clear and according to his family and the separatists he was murdered in prison after he refused to talk about the accusations against Akhmed Zakayev
Akhmed Zakayev
Akhmed Khalidovich Zakayev is the former Deputy Prime Minister and the current Prime Minister of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria , which is unrecognised by other countries...
, then arrested in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. Kommersant
Kommersant
Kommersant is a commerce-oriented newspaper published in Russia. , the circulation was 131,000.- History :The newspaper was initially published in 1909, and it was closed down following the Bolshevik seizure of power and the introduction of censorship in 1917.In 1989, with the onset of press...
daily said that "the real reason for Raduev's death will probably never be known," while Vremya Novostei
Vremya Novostei
Vremya Novostei was a Russian business socio-political daily newspaper based in Moscow.Vremya Novostei was founded in 2000 by former Vremya MN newspaper journalists led by editor-in-chief Vladimir Gurevich retiring in consequence of the non-payment of wages...
suggested that, after being forced to give all the information requested from him, he was therefore "no longer needed" by the Russian authorities and killed. Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
has called for a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death but the request was ignored and his body not exhumed.
Salman Raduyev was survived by his wife and two sons – Dzhokhar and Salman, living abroad.
See also
- Adam DelimkhanovAdam DelimkhanovAdam Sultanovich Delimkhanov is a Chechen politician who has been member of the Russian State Duma for the United Russia party since 2007....
- Raduyev's driver who later became a Russian State DumaState DumaThe State Duma , common abbreviation: Госду́ма ) in the Russian Federation is the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia , the upper house being the Federation Council of Russia. The Duma headquarters is located in central Moscow, a few steps from Manege Square. Its members are referred to...
deputy and de-facto deputy leader of Chechnya under Ramzan KadyrovRamzan KadyrovRamzan Akhmadovich Kadyrov is the President of Chechnya and a former Chechen rebel.Ramzan is a son of former Chechen President Akhmad Kadyrov, assassinated in May 2004. In February 2007 Kadyrov replaced Alu Alkhanov as President, shortly after he had turned 30, which is the minimum age for the post...
.
External links
- Obituary: Salman Raduyev, The IndependentThe IndependentThe Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, Dec 16, 2002 - Salman Raduyev - Chechen whose separatist aims landed him in a Russian prison, The TimesThe TimesThe Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, December 17, 2002 Komendanci polowi: Salman Radujew