MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2020 11 Suspicion, uncertainty cloud Chechen murder in France Lille | France Russia and is now safely back in ‘Political motivation’ Chechnya. President Lille prosecutors have opened t the end of January, an investigation against “X” French emergency ser- Asylum in Belgium Vladimir Putin for murder. Such investiga - Avices found the body of a Aliev’s video blogs, usually in tions against “X” are opened in man in a hotel room close to the Chechen language rather than has vowed to France when prosecutors be- train station in the northern city Russian, were marked by strong lieve the crime was pre-med- of Lille, mutilated with scores of diatribes against Kadyrov who help Germany itated but don’t yet know by stab wounds. stands accused by rights groups who. The man was Imran Aliev, 44, of using a personal militia to with the Lille police are carrying out originally from Russia’s restive attack opponents. the investigation and no arrest northern Caucasus region of But according to the Cauca- investigation has been made yet. Chechnya but who had lived for sian Knot Russian-language The murder “bears all the the last few years in Belgium. news site, Aliev’s comments but has characteristics of having a po- He had gained a following as were often vulgar, expletive-rid- litical motivation” but “it is wise a video blogger at times critical den and also inconsistent. In described to be prudent”, said a source of the Chechen leadership un- one video, rather than criticising Khangoshvili close to the investigation. “Many der its strongman ruler Ramzan Kadyrov he had even sworn an people could have wanted him,” Kadyrov. oath of allegiance to him. as a “fighter, added another source. Suspicion immediately Chechnya’s leadership, under Ramzan Kadyrov (pictured here), had been the According to the source close Attention on the case in emerged that the killing was a target of criticism by Imran Aliev, whose mutilated body was found in the French to the investigation, Aliev had very cruel and Lille has been magnified by political assassination and could city of Lille in January obtained the status of a political a row between Germany and be the latest in a series of sus- refugee in Belgium at the end of bloody” who Russia over the killing of the pected moves against trouble- Travelled with killer? found in the room. 2012 after making a second re- former Chechen rebel com - some figures living in exile in Aliev had arrived in Lille from A prominent exiled Chechen quest for asylum -- a first request had taken part mander in a Berlin park in late Europe critical of the Kremlin or neighbouring Belgium on the blogger based in Europe who in 2011 had not succeeded. 2019. Russia’s regional leaders. night of January 29 to January goes by the name of Tumso Ab- Refugee status was granted to in separatist Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, a Sources close to the inves - 30 along with another man who durakhmanov swiftly wrote on all his family, including his wife. 40-year-old Georgian national, tigation told AFP in Lille that was also travelling on a Russian his Telegram channel he be - He has several children born activities and was shot twice in the head at the murder bore the hall - passport. They both checked lieved the killer had flown to between 2002 and 2008. close range in Kleiner Tiergar- marks of having a political into a room in a hotel in the Spain from Russia, then moved The source said that Aliev has also been ten park on August 23, allegedly motive. square in front of the Lille-Flan- on to Berlin, before going to Bel- the profile of a figure who is by a Russian man who was ar- But caution has also been dres train station. gium by train on January 20. violent and aggressive. involved in rested shortly afterwards. urged due to the lack of clear The emergency services en- The men then spent a week Nonetheless, he was never the President Vladimir Putin has evidence so far and the com - tered the room around 1030 GMT in Belgium before travelling to- subject of a criminal conviction blasts on the vowed to help Germany with the plexity of Aliev himself, who on January 30 and discovered gether with Aliev to Lille, where in Belgium, although he did investigation but has described was prone to unpredictable and Aliev’s body. The source close he allegedly murdered his com- spend several months in prison Moscow metro. Khangoshvili as a “fighter, very vulgar outbursts on his YouTube to the investigation said that the panion. in 2015 for making threats and cruel and bloody” who had taken and Facebook video channels, crime scene was marked by ex- Abdurakhmanov claimed that carrying a banned weapon, an- part in separatist activities and where he went by the pseudo- treme savagery and Aliev had the man, whom he even identi- other source close to the inves- also been involved in blasts on nym of Mansur Stariy. 100 stab wounds. A knife was fied by name, then returned to tigation said. the Moscow metro. Four rare mountain gorillas ‘killed by lightning’ in Uganda Britain, Ireland hit as Storm Ciara whips over northwest Europe London ritain and Ireland were Blashed by howling winds and inundated with driving rain yesterday as Storm Ciara left homes without power, wiped out sports events and disrupt- ed travel around northwestern Europe. The bad weather also hit France, Belgium, the Nether- lands, Switzerland and Ger- many throughout Sunday, causing scores of flights to be cancelled. In Britain, more than 30,000 Thanks to conservation efforts and anti-poaching patrols, the population of homes were left without power, mountain gorillas has grown to more than 1,000 largely in eastern England. The highest wind speed re- Kampala GVTC executive secretary An- corded was 93 miles (150 kilo- In Britain, more than 30,000 homes were left without power, largely in eastern England drew Seguya told the BBC. metres) per hour at Aberdaron, our endangered mountain “The potential of the three on the tip of northwest Wales’s due to attract a 20,000-plus among those affected, while 90 and 110 kph, higher in Atlan- Fgorillas, including three females for their contribution Llyn peninsula. crowd to Goodison Park. at Dusseldorf, 111 flights were tic coastal areas,” it said. adult females, have been killed to the population was im - At Wet Sleddale Reservoir in In London, organisers can- scrapped on Sunday. “A combination of spring tides by an apparent lightning strike mense.” northwest England’s Lake Dis- celled a 10-kilometre race in In Belgium, the Royal Meteor- and high seas will result in a sig- in a Ugandan national park, a The other 13 members of the trict national park, 151.8 milli- which 25,000 runners were due ological Institute issued an alert nificant risk of coastal flooding.” conservation group has said. group had been found. metres of rain fell in a 24-hour to take part, while major city for Sunday of winds reaching Saturday’s opening ceremony A post-mortem examina- In 2008, there were estimat- period. parks closed. 130 kph, or more, with the risk of Galway’s year as European tion has been performed on ed to be only 680 of the great Rail companies urged passen- In rugby league, both Super of property damage nationwide. Capital of Culture, was scrapped the four, including a male in- apes left but thanks to conser- gers not to travel and operated League fixtures were post - Some 60 flights departing or due to bad weather buffeting fant, who died on February 3 vation efforts and anti-poach- reduced timetables and speed poned. arriving at Brussels Airport have Ireland’s west coast. in Mgahinga National Park in ing patrols, their population restrictions. Meanwhile Queen Elizabeth been cancelled as a precaution, Earlier French forecast - southwest Uganda. has grown to more than 1,000. In the central Scottish city of II, staying at her Sandringham according to an airport spokes- er Marion Pirat told AFP that “Based on the gross lesions Due to these efforts, in 2018 Perth, three people were injured country residence in eastern man, who said further delays high winds were expected in from the post-mortem... the the mountain gorilla, a sub- after part of a pub roof collapsed England, did not go to church were possible. the north and northwest of the tentative cause of death for all species of the eastern gorilla, on Saturday. due to the high winds. The In Ireland, around 14,000 country, potentially strengthen- four individuals is likely to be was moved from “critically Sports events were also hit. 93-year-old is the supreme gov- homes and businesses were ing to 120 kph overnight Sunday. electrocution by lightning,” the endangered” to “endangered” The English Premier League ernor of the Church of England. without power, national broad- In the Vosges, winds could hit Greater Virunga Transbounda- on the IUCN’s “Red List” of fixture between champions caster RTE said, as the republic speeds of 140 kph. ry Collaboration (GVTC) said in threatened species. Manchester City and strugglers Flights grounded began counting ballots in its The storm could make tough a statement Saturday, although Covering the northern West Ham was called off due to About 120 flights to and general election. going for the Six Nations rug- laboratory confirmation will slopes of three volcanoes, “extreme and escalating weath- from Amsterdam Schiphol, the Ireland’s Met Eireann mete- by clash between France and take two to three weeks.