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Ombudsman urges security chiefs’ role in probe into attack on human right activists

About 20 unidentified men attacked the group of human rights campaigners and journalists on the way to Chechnya

Russian human rights ombudsman Ella Pamfilova Mikhail Metzel/ TASS

Russian human rights ombudsman Ella Pamfilova

© Mikhail Metzel/ TASS

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MOSCOW, March 10. /TASS/. Russian human rights ombudsman Ella Pamfilova has urged the leadership of federal law enforcement agencies to take personal control of a probe into the Wednesday attack on law enforcers and human rights activists in Russia’s North Caucasian republic of Ingushetia.

"This is an attack by bandits that could have been carried out from anywhere. It is necessary that the leaders of federal law enforcement agencies take personal control of the investigation into this outrageous crime and do their best to find and neutralize the criminals," the ombudsman said in a statement on her official website.

"Repute of chiefs of law enforcement agencies depends on how quickly these villains will be found," she said, noting that it was "a matter of honor" for them.

A member of the presidential council for civil society and human rights, chairman of the torture prevention committee Igor Kalyapin on Wednesday broke the news a group of human rights activists and journalists had come under attack on the border between two regions in the North Caucasus.

"At about 19:15 a group of unidentified attackers moving about in three cars attacked a group of human rights activists from the Free Mobile Group and journalists and beat them up. Two mobile phones were stolen. The human rights activists’ vehicle was damaged and set on fire," the Human Rights Council’s website quotes Kalyapin as saying.

About 20 unidentified men attacked the group of human rights campaigners and journalists on the way to Chechnya. Six were injured. Four required medical assistance. The Ingush authorities have opened a criminal case over hooliganism and premeditated destruction or damage of property.

In the wake of an attack by hooligans against human rights activists and journalists in Ingushetia Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed the Interior Ministry to look into all circumstances of the incident and make a legal evaluation, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

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