Controversy Over "List of Sentenced To Death"
As reported by C.J. Chivers, a journalist for the International Herald Tribune, in August 2008 Austrian authorities interviewed a Chechen man who said he had been sent to find Umar Israilov, and that Israilov was on a list of enemies whom Kadyrov allegedly intended to have killed. The man asked Israilov "to withdraw his complaints or risk being killed and having his family killed." However the Austrians did not detain the man and did not provide protection for Israilov.
The summary of Arthur Kurmakayev's (the man previously mentioned) interrogation by the Austrian police was published by The New York Times, Le Monde and Novaya Gazeta.
In a February 3, 2009 exclusive interview with the independent Internet media Caucasian Knot (a media project related to the Memorial society), Chivers stated that "authenticity of the list of 300 natives from Chechnya, sentenced to death by President Kadyrov, which was published in the western press, has not been proved yet". He said, "I have not seen this list, so I don't know details of its contents, and this is obviously a rich area for follow-on reporting. However, I can't guarantee its authenticity" and stated that it's very easy to compose a false list, while sites of Chechen separatists very often publish propaganda among the actual information.
On February 9, 2009 Arthur Kurmakayev, who was questioned by Austrian police about Israilov's killing, told the Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta that Austrian police had libeled him with a false report. Kurmakayev denied any connection with Kadyrov or the security services.
Read more about this topic: Umar Israilov
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