rted to the authorities. Although the investigation was opened on 17 June 2003, the authorities did not commence witness interviews until August or September 2003, when, according to the Government, they questioned the applicants and the second applicant's two neighbours (see paragraphs 44 - 45 above). Moreover, several other neighbours of the second applicant, some of whom were eyewitnesses to the events in question, were not interviewed until 2005. Also, it appears that enquiries concerning Isa Zaurbekov were first sent to State bodies in April 2005 (see paragraph 32 above). Furthermore, it does not appear that the scene of the incident was ever inspected, or that any fair attempts were made to find any other witnesses and, in particular, to interview servicemen from a nearby checkpoint, as suggested by the applicant, or to find out whether any units of the federal armed forces or security agencies had been stationed in the area where the second applicant and her brother had lived and, if so, which units.
84. The Court also notes a delay in granting the status of a victim to the applicants. Whilst the proceedings were instituted on 17 June 2003, the applicants, according to the Government, were declared victims on 11 August and 4 September 2003. Moreover, it appears that until August 2005, when the applicants received a letter from the district prosecutor's office describing, at least generally, the steps taken during the investigation (see paragraph 37 above), the applicants were not informed of developments in the investigation apart from several decisions on its suspension and resumption. It can also be ascertained from the applicants' submissions, which the Government did not contest, that they were not given access to the file on the criminal investigation until February 2006 (see paragraphs 48 - 50 above).
85. Lastly, the Court observes that the investigation remained pending from June to September 2003, when it was suspended for over a year and seven months and not resumed until April 2005, following which the investigation remained pending until December 2005, when it was again suspended for almost two years and not resumed until November 2007. The Government did not advance any plausible explanation for those considerable periods of inactivity. Between June 2003 and November 2007 it was adjourned and reopened at least four times.
86. The Court thus notes in respect of the Government's argument concerning the applicants' alleged failure to appeal to a court against the omissions of the investigators under Article 125 of the Russian Code of Criminal Procedure that in a situation where the investigation was repeatedly suspended and reopened, where the applicants were unable to access the case file until February 2006, and where they were not properly informed of the progress of the investigation, it is highly doubtful that the remedy relied on by the Government would have had any prospects of success. Moreover, the Government have not demonstrated that this remedy would have been capable of providing redress in the applicants' situation - in other words, that it would have rectified the shortcomings in the investigation and would have led to the identification and punishment of those responsible for the abduction of their relative. The Court thus considers that in the circumstances of the case it has not been established with sufficient certainty that the remedy advanced by the Government would have been effective within the meaning of the Convention. The Court finds that the applicants were not obliged to pursue that remedy, and that this limb of the Government's preliminary objection should therefore be dismissed.
87. In the light of the foregoing, and with regard to the inferences drawn from the respondent Government's submission of evidence, the Court further concludes that the authorities failed to carry out a thorough and effective in
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