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Arbi Alautdinovich Barayev ( ce, Арби Алаутдинович Бараев; 27 May 1974 – 22 June 2001) was a
Chechen warlord
A warlord is a person who exercises military, economic, and political control over a region in a country without a strong national government; largely because of coercive control over the armed forces. Warlords have existed throughout much of h ...
and terrorist, who in 1996 became the founder and first leader of the
Special Purpose Islamic Regiment
The Special Purpose Islamic Regiment (russian: Исламский полк особого назначения; abbreviated SPIR), also known as the al-Jihad-Fi-Sabililah Special Islamic Regiment, was a Chechen organization loosely formed by Che ...
(SPIR) in
Chechnya
Chechnya ( rus, Чечня́, Chechnyá, p=tɕɪtɕˈnʲa; ce, Нохчийчоь, Noxçiyçö), officially the Chechen Republic,; ce, Нохчийн Республика, Noxçiyn Respublika is a republic of Russia. It is situated in the ...
.
Nicknamed The Terminator, Barayev and the SPIR were regarded as one of the main violent
criminal
In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definitions of", in Can ...
organizations operating in Chechnya during the lawless interwar period that followed the 1994–1996
, driving out foreign
journalists and
humanitarian
Humanitarianism is an active belief in the value of human life, whereby humans practice benevolent treatment and provide assistance to other humans to reduce suffering and improve the conditions of humanity for moral, altruistic, and emotional ...
workers, while undermining the presidency of
Aslan Maskhadov
Aslan (Khalid) Aliyevich Maskhadov (russian: Асла́н (Хали́д) Али́евич Масха́дов; ce, Масхадан Али-воӀ Аслан (Халид), Masxadan Ali-voj Aslan (Xalid); 21 September 1951 – 8 March 2005) was ...
during Chechnya's ''de facto'' independence until 1999.
After the restoration of
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
n control, Barayev openly lived in his home village until he was killed on 22 June 2001.
Biography
Early life
Arbi Alautdinovich Barayev was born on 27 May 1974, in Alkhan-Kala,
Chechen–Ingush ASSR,
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
. Barayev was a
martial arts
Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; a ...
fan in his youth, and became a
police officer
A police officer (also called a policeman and, less commonly, a policewoman) is a warranted law employee of a police force. In most countries, "police officer" is a generic term not specifying a particular rank. In some, the use of the ...
in 1990 at the age of just 16.
In 1991, following the
collapse of the Soviet Union
The dissolution of the Soviet Union, also negatively connoted as rus, Разва́л Сове́тского Сою́за, r=Razvál Sovétskogo Soyúza, ''Ruining of the Soviet Union''. was the process of internal disintegration within the Sov ...
and the subsequent declaration of independence
Chechnya
Chechnya ( rus, Чечня́, Chechnyá, p=tɕɪtɕˈnʲa; ce, Нохчийчоь, Noxçiyçö), officially the Chechen Republic,; ce, Нохчийн Республика, Noxçiyn Respublika is a republic of Russia. It is situated in the ...
from the
Russian Federation
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
, he became a personal bodyguard to his uncle,
Vakha Arsanov
Vakha Arsanov (Russian language, Russian: Ваха Арсанов; 1950 – 15 May 2005) was a Vice President of Ichkeria, vice president in the Aslan Maskhadov government of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria.
Biography
Early life
Vakha Arsanov ...
, the future vice president. Barayev also protected Vice President
Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev
Zelimkhan Abdulmuslimovich Yandarbiyev ( ce, Яндарбин Абдулмуслиман-кIант Зелимхан, romanized: ''Yandarbin Abdulmusliman-khant Zelimxan''; russian: link=no, Зелимхан Абдулмуслимович Я ...
, with whom he formed a close personal relationship, and
Sultan Geliskhanov, director of Chechnya's State Security Department.
[Paul J. Murphy, ''The Wolves of Islam: Russia and the Faces of Chechen Terror'', p.68] In 1994 the
began, where Barayev fought on the Chechen separatist side, and it was during this time he committed his first act of
kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the unlawful confinement of a person against their will, often including transportation/asportation. The asportation and abduction element is typically but not necessarily conducted by means of force or fear: the p ...
when he and his men abducted for
ransom
Ransom is the practice of holding a prisoner or item to extort money or property to secure their release, or the sum of money involved in such a practice.
When ransom means "payment", the word comes via Old French ''rançon'' from Latin ''red ...
a group of 29 Russian engineers from a
power plant
A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant, is an industrial facility for the generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an electrical grid.
Many pow ...
near the Chechen capital,
Grozny
Grozny ( rus, Грозный, p=ˈgroznɨj; ce, Соьлжа-ГӀала, translit=Sölƶa-Ġala), also spelled Groznyy, is the capital city of Chechnya, Russia.
The city lies on the Sunzha River. According to the 2010 census, it had a pop ...
.
Inter-war period
The war ended in 1996, with a Chechen separatist victory establishing a ''de facto'' independent Chechnya. Barayev formed the
Special Purpose Islamic Regiment
The Special Purpose Islamic Regiment (russian: Исламский полк особого назначения; abbreviated SPIR), also known as the al-Jihad-Fi-Sabililah Special Islamic Regiment, was a Chechen organization loosely formed by Che ...
, where he and his associates became infamous for their alleged part in a wave of lawlessness which swept the devastated country. Crimes included brutal killings and kidnappings as well as suspected involvement in two failed attempts to assassinate the Chechen president
Aslan Maskhadov
Aslan (Khalid) Aliyevich Maskhadov (russian: Асла́н (Хали́д) Али́евич Масха́дов; ce, Масхадан Али-воӀ Аслан (Халид), Masxadan Ali-voj Aslan (Xalid); 21 September 1951 – 8 March 2005) was ...
, and the successful assassinations of the Chechen interior minister Nasrudi Bazhiyev, and Shadid Bargishev, head of the newly formed anti-abduction service.
The group, based around the town of
Urus-Martan
Urus-Martan (russian: Уру́с-Марта́н; ce, Хьалха-Марта, ''Ẋalxa-Marta'' or , ''Martanthi'') is a town and the administrative center of Urus-Martanovsky District of the Chechen Republic, Russia, located on the Martan River ...
, were linked to a series of high-profile crimes including the notorious murder of six foreign
Red Cross
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...
employees shot dead in
the hospital of Novye Atagi in September 1996, as well as the kidnappings of
Yelena Masyuk
Yelena Vasilyevna Masyuk (russian: Елена Васильевна Масюк) (born 24 January 1966) is a Russian television journalist known for her coverage of the First and Second Chechen Wars.
Journalism
Masyuk graduated from Moscow State U ...
, a Russian
NTV NTV may refer to:
Television
* NTV (Bangladesh), a Bengali-language satellite television channel in Bangladesh
* NTV (India), Telugu regional channel
* NTV (Kenya)
* NTV (Mongolia), a television channel based in Mongolia
* NTV (Newport Televis ...
journalist and personal friend of President Maskhadov, and Valenti Vlasov, Russian president
Boris Yeltsin
Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin ( rus, Борис Николаевич Ельцин, p=bɐˈrʲis nʲɪkɐˈla(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ ˈjelʲtsɨn, a=Ru-Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin.ogg; 1 February 1931 – 23 April 2007) was a Soviet and Russian politician wh ...
's envoy to Chechnya. Other high-profile hostages allegedly kidnapped by Barayev included the
ORT journalists Roman Pereveztsyev and Vladislav Tibelius, an
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
journalist Mauro Galligani,
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
children-aid workers Camilla Carr and Jon James (during a failed operation to rescue them, the Chechen anti-kidnap unit commandos engaged in a deadly clash with "unknown terrorists", unofficially
Salman Raduyev
Salman Betyrovich Raduyev (or Raduev; russian: Салма́н Бетырович Раду́ев; February 13, 1967 – December 14, 2002) was a Chechen separatist field commander, from 1994 to 1999, who masterminded and was responsible for t ...
's men; they were eventually ransomed by
Boris Berezovsky) and others.
In 1997, Maskhadov signed a decree putting Barayev and his Special Purpose Islamic Regiment under the command of the Chechen interior ministry. Barayev, who also held the post of deputy commander of the National Guards, however refused to obey the order. When six of his men were detained in
Ingushetia, Barayev attacked an Ingush police post and took hostages; one of them was killed and the rest were prisoner-swapped. Two more of his men were captured in Chechnya and made to confess to kidnappings on the state TV. His militia and some
Islamist allies from Shariah Security forces fought with the Chechen government forces in a large-scale gun battle in the city of
Gudermes
Gudermes (russian: Гудерме́с; ce, Гуьмсе, ''Gümse'' or , ''Guthermajas'') is a town in the Chechen Republic, Russia, located on the Sunzha River east of Grozny, the republic's capital. Population: 32,000 (1970).
History
Gud ...
in the summer of 1998. Between 50 and around 80 people were killed in the mutiny.
The SPIR was not disarmed, but Barayev was stripped of his rank of
Brigade General
Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed to ...
and declared as the "enemy of Ichkeria and the Chechen people". In December 1998, Barayev proclaimed the Supreme Council of Islamic
Jamaats, dug trenches around Urus-Martan and threatened to attack targets across and outside of Chechnya if Maskhadov tried to fight them.
A commonly accusation against Barayev regarded the late 1998 abduction and beheading of
four foreign mobile phone engineers.
[Chechen president orders kidnap crackdown](_blank)
BBC News
BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadca ...
, December 13, 1998 It was claimed that the
(FSB) outbid the employers of kidnapped British engineers to get them decapitated by Barayev and his gang rather than be released; supposedly, the video and photographic materials of their executions fed the FSB anti-western propaganda efforts at beginning of
Second Chechen War
The Second Chechen War (russian: Втора́я чече́нская война́, ) took place in Chechnya and the border regions of the North Caucasus between the Russia, Russian Federation and the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, from Augus ...
.
[The Security Organs of the Russian Federation. A Brief History 1991–2004](_blank)
by Jonathan Littell
Jonathan Littell (born October 10, 1967) is a writer living in Barcelona. He grew up in France and the United States and is a citizen of both countries. After acquiring his bachelor's degree he worked for a humanitarian organisation for nine year ...
, Psan Publishing House 2006.
A former Russian hostage Abdurakhman Adukhov told the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
that Barayev told him it was actually
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden (10 March 1957 – 2 May 2011) was a Saudi-born extremist militant who founded al-Qaeda and served as its leader from 1988 until Killing of Osama bin Laden, his death in 2011. Ideologically a Pan-Islamism ...
who paid him $30m for the atrocity, outbidding the ransom offer of $10m. Barayev himself denied that his group kidnapped and killed the foreigners.
Second Chechen War
In August 1999, Russia launched the
Second Chechen War
The Second Chechen War (russian: Втора́я чече́нская война́, ) took place in Chechnya and the border regions of the North Caucasus between the Russia, Russian Federation and the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, from Augus ...
in response to the
Invasion of Dagestan
The Dagestan War (russian: Дагестанская война), also known as the Invasion of Militants in Dagestan (russian: Вторжение боевиков в Дагестан) began when the Chechnya-based Islamic International Peacekeep ...
by the
Islamic International Brigade
The Islamic International Peacekeeping Brigade (russian: Исламская международная миротворческая бригада; abbreviated IIPB), also known as the Islamic International Brigade, the Islamic Peacekeeping Army, ...
. Dagestan borders Chechnya to the east, and as part of the operation Russian troops entered Chechnya on 1 October to restore federal control over the country, effectively ending its ''de facto'' independence. In March 2000, during the early phase of the war, Barayev reportedly betrayed the Chechen field commander
Ruslan Gelayev
Ruslan (Hamzat) Gelayev (russian: Руслан (Хамзат) Гелаев; was a prominent commander in the Chechen people, Chechen separatist movement against Russia, in which he played a significant, yet controversial, military and political ...
to the Russian military forces, resulting in the massacre of Gelayev's forces in the
Battle of Komsomolskoye
The Battle of Komsomolskoye took place in March 2000 between Russian federal forces and Chechen separatists in the Chechen village of Komsomolskoye (Saadi-Kotar), Chechnya. It was the largest Russian victory during the Second Chechen War. Seve ...
.
According to another version, Barayev and his men merely
bribed
Bribery is the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official, or other person, in charge of a public or legal duty. With regard to governmental operations, essentially, bribery is "Corr ...
their way out of Komsomolskoye while leaving Gelayev and his people to their fate. The incident led to the declaration of revenge on the part of Gelayev, whose fighters then blew up several houses belonging to Barayev in his home village of Alkhan-Kala near Grozny, killed a number of his men, and even attempted to assassinate Barayev in Ingushetia. According to federal authorities, more than 40 Chechens died as a result of these clashes.
["Russian anti-terrorist operation"](_blank)
, ''Moskovskiye Novosti
''Moskovskiye Novosti'' (russian: Московские новости, ''Moscow News'') was a Russian-language daily newspaper in Russia relaunched in 2011. The paper - by then a 'youth-oriented' free sheet handed out at more than 850 places aro ...
'', August 8, 2000
Chechen surgeon
Khassan Baiev
Khassan Zhunidovich Baiev (; born 4 April 1963) is a Chechen-American surgeon who performed numerous operations under critical conditions during the Second Chechen War. He is mostly known as author of two memoirs, ''The Oath: A Surgeon Under ...
, who
amputated
Amputation is the removal of a limb by trauma, medical illness, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on indiv ...
a portion of the leg of
Shamil Basayev
Shamil Salmanovich Basayev ( ce, Салман ВоӀ Шамиль ; russian: Шамиль Салманович Басаев; 14 January 1965 – 10 July 2006), also known by his kunya "Abu Idris", was a senior military commander in the Cheche ...
after his injury on a
minefield, also had operated on Salman Raduyev and Arbi Barayev himself, however Barayev promised to kill him because he would also help wounded Russian soldiers. Baiev described Barayev as "''a born killer, and his men were
desperados
Desperado may refer to:
* Outlaw, particularly in the American Old West
Books
* ''Desperadoes'' (comics), a comic book series
* ''Desperadoes'' (novel), a 1979 novel by Ron Hansen
* Desperado Publishing, an American independent comic book publ ...
with blood vendettas proclaimed against them for murder. They joined Barayev for protection against the avengers in an endless cycle of violence. ... He owned a stable of expensive foreign cars, had several wives, and moved around with an escort of twenty to thirty guards. Everyone assumed that he was in the pay of Russian intelligence. Relatives of Arbi Barayev publicly denounced him for his crimes, saying that the family announced in the courtyard of the mosque that if anyone killed him, they would relinquish all claims. There would be no
blood revenge
A feud , referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, or private war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because one par ...
.''"
[Khassan Baiev, Ruth Daniloff. ''The Oath: A Surgeon Under Fire.'' Walker & Company. 2004. .] Facing death threats from Barayev as well as from the federal side, Baiev was eventually forced to seek
political asylum
The right of asylum (sometimes called right of political asylum; ) is an ancient juridical concept, under which people persecuted by their own rulers might be protected by another sovereign authority, like a second country or another enti ...
in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
.
Following the Russian occupation of most of Chechnya, Barayev freely lived in Alkhan-Kala and frequently passed through Russian Army
checkpoints without any problems, using identity papers of an FSB officer, and was also not included in the lists of people wanted "for participation in illegal armed groups".
Once arrested, Barayev was said to be instantly released by the demand of Beslan Gantamirov, then the leading figure in the pro-Moscow government.
In May 2000, the Russian military intelligence
GRU
The Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, rus, Гла́вное управле́ние Генера́льного шта́ба Вооружённых сил Росси́йской Федера́ци ...
officer leaked papers about Barayev's affiliation with FSB to a Chechen journalist.
In April 2001, Barayev's men allegedly ambushed and killed
Viktor Popkov
Viktor Alekseyevich Popkov (russian: Ви́ктор Алексе́евич Попко́в; June 17, 1946 – June 2, 2001) was a Russian dissident, Christian, humanitarian, human rights activist and journalist.
A deeply religious Old Believer an ...
, a Russian dissident working in Chechnya as an
aid worker
Humanitarian aid is material and logistic assistance to people who need help. It is usually short-term help until the long-term help by the government and other institutions replaces it. Among the people in need are the homeless, refugees, and v ...
and
human rights
Human rights are Morality, moral principles or Social norm, normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for ce ...
activist since 1995, in the close vicinity of a military roadblock. According to the
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other n ...
, Barayev sent a group of his fighters to train in
Taliban
The Taliban (; ps, طالبان, ṭālibān, lit=students or 'seekers'), which also refers to itself by its state (polity), state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a Deobandi Islamic fundamentalism, Islamic fundamentalist, m ...
-controlled areas of
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
in the spring of the same year.
Death
On June 22, 2001, Barayev was reported killed during a raid by the Russian military special forces on Alkhan-Kala. According to a Russian military spokesman, 17 Chechens and at least one soldier were killed in the operation. The Russian media had reported his death several previous times, but every time he re-emerged unscathed; however, this time, the
Kavkaz Center
The Kavkaz Center (KC; russian: Кавказ-центр, Kavkaz-centr, lit=Caucasus Center) is a privately run website/ portal which aims to be "a Chechen internet agency which is independent, international and Islamic". The stated mission of the ...
announced that "Special Islamic commander Arbi Barayev has
become a martyr." According to another version of Barayev's death, the GRU decided to eliminate him after the suspicious death of FSB chief Vice-Admiral
German Ugryumov
German Alexeyevich Ugryumov (russian: Герман Алексеевич Угрюмов; October 10, 1948, Astrakhan, Soviet Union – May 31, 2001, Khankala, Chechnya, Russia) was a Soviet and Russian navy and security services official. During ...
, who allegedly provided cover for Barayev. In a well-prepared five-day operation, GRU agents recruited from Chechens in a blood feud with Barayev searched for him in Alkhan-Kala and then stormed a local FSB base where he ran for cover, killing an FSB agent in the process. Barayev was allegedly captured alive and then
tortured
Torture is the deliberate infliction of severe pain or suffering on a person for reasons such as punishment, extracting a confession, interrogation for information, or intimidating third parties. Some definitions are restricted to acts carr ...
to death.
His body was given to his immediate family for a funeral (in contrast, when Maskhadov was killed in 2005, he was buried by the Russians in an unmarked secret grave). He was, however, barred from being buried in his home village by the local people.
[Russians kill Chechen warlord](_blank)
BBC News
BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadca ...
, 25 June 2001Maskhadov body furore escalates
BBC News
BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadca ...
, 14 March 2005
In October 2002, the continuation of the SPIR carried out the Moscow theater hostage crisis
The Moscow theater hostage crisis (also known as the 2002 Nord-Ost siege) was the seizure of the crowded Dubrovka Theater by Chechen terrorists on 23 October 2002, which involved 850 hostages and ended with Russian security services killing o ...
, led by Barayev's 22-year-old nephew and successor Movsar and featured his widow Zura Barayeva, both of whom died in the attack. The remnants of Barayev's group were reportedly integrated into the mainstream rebel forces following the theatre seizure.
See also
* ''Captive
Captive or Captives may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Captive'' (1980 film), a sci-fi film, starring Cameron Mitchell and David Ladd
* ''Captive'' (1986 film), a British-French film starring Oliver Reed
* ''Captive'' (1991 ...
''
References
External links
Rebel leader's notorious family
BBC News
BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadca ...
, 23 October 2002
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barayev, Arbi
1974 births
2001 deaths
Chechen field commanders
Chechen warlords
People of the Chechen wars
Russian Sunni Muslims
Russian police officers
Russian people of Chechen descent
Chechen people
Leaders of Islamic terror groups