The Russian Evil Empire Strikes in Crimea

Politically motivated murders are being reported in the Crimea after dictator Putin seized the region. Human Rights Watch reports that relatives of Reshat Ametov was led away by three men in military jackets, but no insignia, from Lenin Square in Simferopol on March 3, 2014. A few weeks later, his body was found and it was reported as a violent death, likely beaten to death. Note that Russia had already sent his forces into that region at that time, so it's likely that it was committed or condoned by those forces.

“The disappearance and murder of Reshat Ametov illustrates the climate of lawlessness that has been pervasive in Crimea over the last week,” said Rachel Denber, deputy Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Crimean authorities have a duty to thoroughly investigate this case and punish those responsible, whoever they are.”

Local media reports suggested that the body bore marks of torture and that there was transparent tape wrapped around Ametov’s head and hands. Human Rights Watch was not able to verify these reports, but Ametov’s relative said the local police told him that the death was registered as “violent.” Ametov’s relatives have not yet been able to retrieve either his body or the death certificate from the mortuary. Reshat Ametov was a Crimea Tatar or nominally a Muslim although it is not known if he was a practicing Muslim. There are over 1/2 million Tatars in Crimea and the Russians may be inciting more Jihadist sentiment there and elsewhere.

The incident is not isolated in Crimea after the Russian forces invaded the area. Human Rights Watch reports that

For weeks, armed masked men who refuse to identify themselves have harassed and intimidated people,” Denber said. “Failure to call a halt to this mistreatment and investigate would only embolden the people responsible for the abuse.”

This kind of criminal and lawless thuggery is representative of Putin's Russian "thugocracy."  Putin is an evil man with evil intent.  Murder, coercion, bigotry, and bullying mark Putin's Russia.  We're seeing the return of the "evil empire."