VIENNA, June 23 (UPI) -- A probe of the killing of a Chechen asylum seeker that alleges Chechen government involvement could strain relations between Europe and Russia, observers say.
Austrian investigators in the case of Umar Israilov, shot down in front of a Vienna supermarket, say their inquiries lead them to suspect Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov may have been involved in planning the killing, Der Spiegel reported Wednesday.
Israilov, a 27-year-old Russian citizen of Chechen origin and an applicant for asylum in Austria, was shot multiple times by two gunmen and died on the way to a hospital, the newspaper said.
The Vienna Office for the Protection of the Constitution and Counter-terrorism says it believes Kadyrov, an ally of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, knew about and accepted the killing because he owes his position of power to Moscow's support.
Human-rights organizations claim Kadyrov is responsible for the disappearances of people in Chechnya and the executions of many of his opponents.
Analysts question whether the Austrian government relishes a legal confrontation with Russia, a partner on the European Council, even though legal proceedings against Kadyrov would be mostly symbolic, Der Spiegel reported.
