f the Interior and the FSB had no information about the involvement of the kidnapped men with illegal armed groups or any other serious crimes. The investigation also found out that no special operations had been carried out in respect of the applicants' relatives and that no military vehicles had been assigned by the military commander's office for that purpose.
120. In their submissions the Government stated that the investigation in both cases carried out by the Grozny District Prosecutor's Office had been adjourned and reopened on numerous occasions, owing to the fact that the perpetrators of the crimes could not be identified. The progress of both cases was monitored by the Prosecutor General's Office. The persons who had victim status in the proceedings had been regularly informed of their progress.
121. As indicated in the documents submitted by the Government, between 23 October 2002 and April 2008 the investigation in case No. 56166 concerning the murder of Magomed Shakhgiriyev, Ali Magomadov, Ismail Umarov and Umalat Abayev was adjourned at least six times, and every time the investigation was later reopened by prosecutors. The investigation in case No. 56192 concerning the murders of Aslan Israilov and Khasin Yunusov was adjourned and reopened four times between November 2002 and April 2006.
122. Despite specific requests by the Court, the Government failed to disclose most of the material in criminal files Nos. 56166 and 56192, providing only copies of decisions to suspend and resume the investigation and to grant victim status, as well as of the relatives' applications to the district prosecutor's office and notifications to the relatives about the adjournment and reopening of the proceedings. They also submitted two witness statements, as indicated above. Relying on the information obtained from the Prosecutor General's Office, the Government stated that the investigation was in progress and that disclosure of the documents would be in violation of Article 161 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, since the file contained information of a military nature and personal data concerning the witnesses or other participants in the criminal proceedings.
II. Relevant domestic law
123. For a summary of relevant domestic law see Akhmadova and Sadulayeva v. Russia, No. 40464/02, § 67 - 69, 10 May 2007.
THE LAW
I. The government's preliminary objection
A. Arguments of the parties
124. The Government contended that the complaint should be declared inadmissible for non-exhaustion of domestic remedies. They submitted that the investigation into the disappearance of Magomed Shakhgiriyev, Ali Magomadov, Ismail Umarov, Umalat Abayev, Aslan Israilov and Khasin Yunusov had not yet been completed. They argued that it had been open to the applicants to challenge in court any actions or omissions of the investigating or other law-enforcement authorities, but that they had not availed themselves of any such remedy. They referred to several examples when domestic courts had allowed complaints by victims in criminal proceedings and obliged the investigative authorities to carry out certain steps. They also argued that it was open to the applicants to pursue civil complaints.
125. The applicants contested that objection. With reference to the Court's practice, they argued that they had not been obliged to apply to the courts in order to exhaust domestic remedies. They stated that the criminal investigation had proved to be ineffective and that their complaints to that effect had been futile.
B. The Court's assessment
126. In the present case, the Court took no decision about the exhaustion of domestic remedies at the admissibility stage, having found that this question was too closely link
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