MOSCOW. Oct 26 (Interfax-AVN) - The Ingush presidential administration has expressed concerns that tragedies such as the killing of opposition activist Maksharip Aushev, who was killed on Sunday, may repeat.
"It's not just an encroachment on people's rights, it's a challenge to civil society, the authorities, and the state," Ingush presidential aide Musa Pliyev told Interfax on Sunday.
"When the killers of Magomed Yevloyev [owner of the website ingushetiya.ru, who was killed while being taken to a police station], it became clear to me that they will continue killing human rights activists," Pliyev said.
Pliyev said Aushev could have gone to Kabargino-Balkaria to visit his friends or relatives. "It's not far from Ingushetia. He had friends and relatives there," Pliyev said.
Pliyev said Aushev has received threats and his friends had recommended that he not travel anywhere. "The killing was an expected one," Pliyev said.
The Investigations Department for the Investigations Committee of the Russian prosecutor's office for the Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria earlier confirmed the information on the killing.
"A criminal case has been opened. A group of investigators are working at the scene," a representative of the Investigations Department said.
A source in the law enforcement agencies of Kabardino-Balkaria said the killing occurred near the village of Nartan, Chegem district of Kabardino-Balkaria, around 9:30 a.m. on Sunday.
"A black VAZ came under fire on the federal road Kavkaz. Aushev, who was driving the vehicle, was killed and a passenger was wounded and is now hospitalized," the source said.
Ingush opposition leader Magomed Khazbiev earlier told Interfax the car carrying Aushev came under fire in Nalchik.