Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09DUBAI157
2009-04-05 14:37:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Consulate Dubai
Cable title:
FORMER CHECHEN COMMANDER GUNNED DOWN IN DUBAI
how-toVZCZCXRO9939 RR RUEHDBU RUEHDH RUEHDIR DE RUEHDE #0157 0951437 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 051437Z APR 09 FM AMCONSUL DUBAI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6461 INFO RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI 3495 RUEHXD/MOSCOW POLITICAL COLLECTIVE RUEHZM/GCC C COLLECTIVE RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI 9727
C O N F I D E N T I A L DUBAI 000157
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 4/5/2019
TAGS: PREL PTER RS TC
SUBJECT: FORMER CHECHEN COMMANDER GUNNED DOWN IN DUBAI
CLASSIFIED BY: Paul R. Sutphin, Consul General, Exec, State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L DUBAI 000157
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 4/5/2019
TAGS: PREL PTER RS TC
SUBJECT: FORMER CHECHEN COMMANDER GUNNED DOWN IN DUBAI
CLASSIFIED BY: Paul R. Sutphin, Consul General, Exec, State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)
1. (SBU) Former Chechen commander Sulim Yamadayev was shot and
killed on March 28 in the parking lot of the apartment building
where he lived in Dubai on March 28. Police officials have
publicly called his murder an assassination and said that he was
surveilled in the days before his death; however, they have not
disclosed a suspected motive for the killing. It is believed to
be the first political assassination in Dubai and occurred two
days before UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Dubai Ruler
Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid al Maktoum arrived in Moscow for an
official visit.
2. (C) Yamadayev's brother Issa and others have claimed
publicly that Yamadayev survived the attack and is recovering in
a Dubai hospital. Dubai police have stated he was killed at the
scene. A journalist told us April 2 that her sources said
Yamadayev was buried in the Al Qoz cemetery on March 30 and that
she had seen the grave. While at the cemetery, she noted that
there were several ethnic Russians, but no Chechens, at the
grave. She also said witnesses at the scene of the shooting had
seen personnel from the Dubai morgue, not an ambulance, remove
the body and there was little doubt that Yamadayev was dead.
3. (C) According to Dubai police, Yamadayev was shot once in
the head in the underground parking lot of the upscale Jumeirah
Beach Residence apartments where he had lived for four months
with his wife and children. Two bodyguards had been with him,
but neither was armed. One of them tried to stop the attacker
but was pistol whipped. Our contact told us police had not
initially been aware of Yamadayev's identity, and it is unclear
whether he entered the UAE under the assumed name of Suleyman
Madov, which was the name police originally released for the
deceased. Dubai police have said they arrested up to 20
people, including four Chechens and several ethnic Russians, but
none have been charged. Russian Consul Sergey Krasnogor told
reporters on April 2 that all Russian citizens had been
released. Police have subsequently said they have arrested a
prime suspect but have released no further details.
4. (C) Websites Kavkazcenter.com and Caucasusnews.com both
posted details of the shooting and photos, including assertions
that it was Yamadayev and pictures of police at the scene,
within hours of the shooting, long before such details were
released publicly. Kavkazcenter maintained one of those arrested
was a Russian intelligence agent. Our contact said further
information on those arrested or possible charges is being
tightly held by Dubai authorities.
5. (C) Chechen sources have told us that there is a sizable
Chechen community in Dubai. They estimate its size from several
hundred to several thousand. One Moscow-based contact told us
in December that several prominent Chechens have relocated to
Dubai or vacation here, including Chechen President Ramzan
Kadyrov. He specifically named Umar and Hussein Dzabrailov, the
former considered a suspect in the murder of American citizen
Paul Tate, and the latter a former candidate for president of
Chechnya and businessman who briefly joined Kadyrov's
government. None of them, however, has apparently created any
problems that have brought them to the attention of authorities.
6. (C) Comment: Yamadayev's murder and its international
headlines have been widely talked about in Dubai because of the
lack of violent crime here. It does not appear, however, that
the Russian-Chechen, or intra-Chechen, troubles have generally
spilled over to Dubai/the UAE. Yamadayev had apparently chosen
to leave Russia and Chechnya for a quieter life in Dubai. But
as an opponent of Chechen President Kadyrov and someone who was
allegedly engaged in kidnapping and torture in combating the
Chechen separatists, he had many enemies, and it appears one of
them followed him here.
SUTPHIN
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 4/5/2019
TAGS: PREL PTER RS TC
SUBJECT: FORMER CHECHEN COMMANDER GUNNED DOWN IN DUBAI
CLASSIFIED BY: Paul R. Sutphin, Consul General, Exec, State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)
1. (SBU) Former Chechen commander Sulim Yamadayev was shot and
killed on March 28 in the parking lot of the apartment building
where he lived in Dubai on March 28. Police officials have
publicly called his murder an assassination and said that he was
surveilled in the days before his death; however, they have not
disclosed a suspected motive for the killing. It is believed to
be the first political assassination in Dubai and occurred two
days before UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Dubai Ruler
Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid al Maktoum arrived in Moscow for an
official visit.
2. (C) Yamadayev's brother Issa and others have claimed
publicly that Yamadayev survived the attack and is recovering in
a Dubai hospital. Dubai police have stated he was killed at the
scene. A journalist told us April 2 that her sources said
Yamadayev was buried in the Al Qoz cemetery on March 30 and that
she had seen the grave. While at the cemetery, she noted that
there were several ethnic Russians, but no Chechens, at the
grave. She also said witnesses at the scene of the shooting had
seen personnel from the Dubai morgue, not an ambulance, remove
the body and there was little doubt that Yamadayev was dead.
3. (C) According to Dubai police, Yamadayev was shot once in
the head in the underground parking lot of the upscale Jumeirah
Beach Residence apartments where he had lived for four months
with his wife and children. Two bodyguards had been with him,
but neither was armed. One of them tried to stop the attacker
but was pistol whipped. Our contact told us police had not
initially been aware of Yamadayev's identity, and it is unclear
whether he entered the UAE under the assumed name of Suleyman
Madov, which was the name police originally released for the
deceased. Dubai police have said they arrested up to 20
people, including four Chechens and several ethnic Russians, but
none have been charged. Russian Consul Sergey Krasnogor told
reporters on April 2 that all Russian citizens had been
released. Police have subsequently said they have arrested a
prime suspect but have released no further details.
4. (C) Websites Kavkazcenter.com and Caucasusnews.com both
posted details of the shooting and photos, including assertions
that it was Yamadayev and pictures of police at the scene,
within hours of the shooting, long before such details were
released publicly. Kavkazcenter maintained one of those arrested
was a Russian intelligence agent. Our contact said further
information on those arrested or possible charges is being
tightly held by Dubai authorities.
5. (C) Chechen sources have told us that there is a sizable
Chechen community in Dubai. They estimate its size from several
hundred to several thousand. One Moscow-based contact told us
in December that several prominent Chechens have relocated to
Dubai or vacation here, including Chechen President Ramzan
Kadyrov. He specifically named Umar and Hussein Dzabrailov, the
former considered a suspect in the murder of American citizen
Paul Tate, and the latter a former candidate for president of
Chechnya and businessman who briefly joined Kadyrov's
government. None of them, however, has apparently created any
problems that have brought them to the attention of authorities.
6. (C) Comment: Yamadayev's murder and its international
headlines have been widely talked about in Dubai because of the
lack of violent crime here. It does not appear, however, that
the Russian-Chechen, or intra-Chechen, troubles have generally
spilled over to Dubai/the UAE. Yamadayev had apparently chosen
to leave Russia and Chechnya for a quieter life in Dubai. But
as an opponent of Chechen President Kadyrov and someone who was
allegedly engaged in kidnapping and torture in combating the
Chechen separatists, he had many enemies, and it appears one of
them followed him here.
SUTPHIN