A Father’s Cry For Justice: Will Obama Listen? Excerpts from Abdulbaki Todashev’s Letter

When all else fails and you see your son’s life snatched away by cops who refuse to explain their actions in what you believed was a civilized society, you turn the person who travels the world preaching to others as a last recourse. You hope he understands that his message falls on deaf ears when people know that the FBI can kill a man then close the lid on the killing hoping its agents will never be held responsible. I thought after Whitey the FBI would change; I see that it never will unless change is forced upon it from the outside. Here is a portion of the letter sent to President Obama by Abdulbaki Todashev the father of Ibragim Todashev.

“Dear Mr. President,

I am writing to you being dictated by the call of my soul and the unalleviated pain of a father whose son was ruthlessly killed. I am not asking you to share my pain but I am asking you, as the head of the great country – the guarantor of democracy in the modern world, to help the law and justice prevail. I will try to be short and concise.
My son was born in 1985 in a family with other 11 children. All my life I worked hard, trying to provide for my family and bring up dignified and law-abiding children.
In 2008 Ibragim, being a fifth year student at the Chechen State University, was enrolled in an international student exchange program and went to the United States to practice his English. In Boston he studied English in depth and got engaged in big sports – Mixed Martial Arts. In 2011 he moved to Orlando, Florida. All these years, alongside with his studies and sports, he worked to earn his living and sometimes received financial support from his family back home.
We, Ibragim’s parents, were aware of everything that was happening in his life in America, including his friends, girlfriends and trainers, as he was regularly in contact not only with his father, mother, sisters and brothers, but also with his other relatives and friends.
After the terrorist attack in Boston FBI interrogated my son several times because he was acquainted with Tsarnayev brothers – suspects of the terrorist attack. He got acquainted with them because they trained in the same gym when he lived in Boston. When Boston events took place my son had already lived at 6022 Peregrine Ave., Orlando, Florida 32819, USA. He had received a green card and was preparing to visit his family in Russia. Having had a knee operation he was waiting for his leg to heal to be able to walk independently. He had bought presents for his relatives and tickets for a flight that was supposed to take place on May 24. However, on May 22 he was visited by FBI agents who ruthlessly cut short his life. . . . 

Let’s assume that my son was suspected in participating in a crime. FBI agents four times interrogated him in their office. Please, note that the interrogations took place in their office and Ibragim regularly visited them when they called him and provided detailed answers to all their questions. He was neither arrested nor was he detained. Then he told me that he did not want to go to the FBI office anymore because the agents put pressure on him. The fifth time FBI agents came to his place. They asked his friend Khusein Taramov, who was at that time with Ibragim, to leave the apartment. After that Ibragim was tortured and later shot multiple times in the body and in the head to guarantee his death. Ibragim’s body and his head had 13 (thirteen) gunshot wounds. I also should mention that I have not misspoken about tortures. His face and body had bruises sustained while he was still alive.

There are many questions that arise from the above mentioned facts. I will list the most salient ones:
1. Why the group of FBI agents after four interrogations in their office, came to Ibragim’s house for the fifth interrogation? . . . 

3. What kind of actions could my son do to endanger the lives of FBI agents while he was literally in their hands and how these agents could allow any danger to arise to kill him so ruthlessly in his apartment? 

4. The medical examiner’s report concerning my son’s body has not yet been released to my legal attorneys, despite the fact that they requested it several times. The medical examiner’s office claimed the FBI banned the report’s release. 

5. Why does FBI subject Ibragim’s friends and acquaintances to pressure and blackmail by threatening arrests and deportations?. Having refused to work for FBI Ibragim’s friends, Tatiana Gruzdeva and Ashurmamad Miraliev, were deported from the United States. Many others have been forced to leave the country under FBI’s pressure.

6. Why does FBI pressure not only all Ibragim’s acquaintances, but now also my acquaintances, who helped me during my first visit to the United States. . . .  

Unfortunately I am not an expert in the U. S. criminal legislation but in my country actions of these FBI agents are classified as an abuse of power and a premeditated murder. . . .

It seems that FBI in the United States is everything. President is nothing for them. They are judges and prosecutors. There is no authority above them. FBI can kill anyone wherever and whenever they want. . . . 

Because of actions of such FBI agents and other similar people in power for the last several years the democracy, former glory, image, and the reputation of the United States have been seriously questioned. . . .

After what FBI agents have done to him whatever excuses they come up with nobody would believe them because my son is dead and cannot talk for himself. They did it deliberately so that he can never speak and never take part in court hearings. They put pressure on my son’s friends to prevent them from coming to the court and speaking the truth. . . . .

With respect and hope,
Father of a murdered son Abdulbaki Todashev”