In Chechnya, the trial has begun of two former officers of the republic’s drug control department of the Interior Ministry — Kaloga Aziev and Alikhan Yusupov. The proceedings are taking place at the Gudermes District Court, according to human rights organisation Crew Against Torture.
The officers are accused of unlawfully transporting a resident of Daghestan, Aleksei Kardashov, from the town of Khasavyurt in Daghestan to Chechnya in the autumn of 2017, as well as conducting an unlawful personal search and search of his vehicle. After that, Kardashov disappeared and his whereabouts remain unknown.
According to the Crew Against Torture, Aziev and Yusupov previously admitted guilt but failed to appear at their first court hearing. They are charged with abuse of official powers, an offence carrying a maximum sentence of four years’ imprisonment.
Kardashov, a 43-year-old pharmacist in Khasavyurt, went missing in September 2017. On the day he disappeared, he had taken his mother to the hospital and was not seen again. His car also vanished, and approximately ₽550,000 ($7,000) were withdrawn from his bank cards. Investigators in Daghestan opened criminal cases on charges of abduction, large-scale robbery, and large-scale theft. During the investigation it was established that Kardashov crossed the administrative border with Chechnya accompanied by a vehicle with Chechen registration plates.
A key witness in the case was a taxi driver from Grozny, Said-Magomed Omarov, who allegedly purchased the prescription drug Lyrica from Kardashov. The anti-epileptic medication is available only by prescription and is popular among drug users. According to Omarov, officers from the drug control department — Alikhan Yusupov and Kaloga Aziev — as well as members of the National Guard, Aslan Dukaev and Bekhan Abdurashidov, were involved in the detention. He stated that he saw Kardashov being taken to Gudermes.
After the case was transferred from Daghestan to Chechnya, Omarov was subsequently charged with Kardashov’s murder. He admitted guilt. In 2019, the Gudermes district court convicted him and sentenced him to nine years in prison. The verdict was later overturned and the case sent back for retrial. According to human rights defenders, the case is currently being heard again. Omarov has invoked the constitutional right not to testify against himself and has refused to give evidence. He has also stated that he was subjected to pressure and that his confession was obtained under duress.
National Guard officers Aslan Dukaev and Bekhan Abdurashidov were also prosecuted. In 2023, a court found them guilty of abuse of official powers and imposed suspended sentences. The verdict was subsequently quashed and the criminal proceedings discontinued due to the expiry of the statute of limitations.
Following the opening of the case, Aziev and Yusupov were placed on a wanted list. Their whereabouts were established in October 2024. Criminal proceedings against them were initiated in May 2025 and later referred to court.
Kardashov’s mother, Tsilya Yakubova, appealed to various state authorities, including the administrations of President Vladimir Putin and the Chechen Head Ramzan Kadyrov, as well as to the Moscow rabbinate, as Kardashov is a member of the Mountain Jewish community. According to relatives, they received no substantive response.
Kardashov’s body has not been found.
