News

The "Memorial" Centre for Defence of Human Rights has recognized the bloggers, Stanislav Andreev and Alexei Shamardin, from Kuban (Krasnodar Territory) as political prisoners; they used to post videos about violations of the law by state officials in their YouTube channels.

Five employees of the colony in Kalmykia, where prisoners from Dagestan, Magomed Atimagomedov and Daud Kuramagomedov, were serving their prison terms, have been charged with abuse of power with using torture. This was informed by Djamal Aliev, the Dagestani Ombudsperson.

The Court of Appeal has refused to satisfy the complaint of the "Rosgvardiya" (Russian National Guard) fighters from Kuban (Krasnodar Territory), who were fired after refusing to go to Ukraine, said Mikhail Benyash*, an advocate, whose application for taking part in the procedure was not even considered by the court.

Reports about the kidnappings by Chechen law enforcers of at least 25 residents of the village of Alkhan-Kala have been confirmed, and the whereabouts of the kidnapped people have not been known for eleven days already, the Human Rights Protection Centre “Memorial” reported.

Relatives of Daud Kuramagomedov and Magomed Atimagomedov, the victims of torture in Kalmyk Colony No. 2, have no money to pay for advocates, the human rights project "Gulagu.net" has informed, calling on natives of Dagestan to help their fellow countrymen.

The Angarsk City Court has satisfied the demand of the colony staff to establish supervision over Alexander Valov, a former editor-in-chief of the "BlogSochi" website, after his regaining freedom.

Chechen refugee Zelimkhan O. may be deported to his homeland after being released from a French prison, human rights defenders report.

Only the Defence Minister and the country's president can criticize the commander of a grouping of troops at the frontline, Vladimir Boldyrev, a former commander of the Russian Ground Forces, has told Ramzan Kadyrov, commenting on the criticism expressed by the head of Chechnya against Colonel General Lapin. Mr Boldyrev has suggested that Kadyrov's criticism of militaries' actions could be caused by the "undercover fuss."

In Krasnodar, a court suspended the decision of the Russian Ministry of Justice to include advocate Mikhail Benyash* in the register of foreign agents.

The military training of the staff of the Chechen Muftiate and theologians fits into the Ramzan Kadyrov’s policy of militarization and is hardly voluntary, Svetlana Gannushkina* and Oyub Titiev believe. They considered the probability of participation of religious figures in real battles doubtful.

Kazbek Ataev, a resident of Malgobek, who has served a long term in colony under a terrorist article, has been detained after a search of his house; explosives were found there.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) and the Prosecutor's Office, as well as the authorities of Stavropol, have launched a check after the complaint of the parents of a pupil of a local cadet school that their son had been beaten with a whip at that educational establishment.

In Ingushetia, the police have refused to open a criminal case against relatives of Leyla Gireeva on the girl's application about regular domestic violence against her, human rights defenders have informed.

In the Malgobek District of Ingushetia, an underage girl was abducted by a 37-year-old man with the aim of marriage; a search is underway for him, sources have reported.

Prior to deportation, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the natives from Chechnya and Ingushetia, who had left Russia, were kept in dirty and cold containers; and in Croatia, law enforcers used to beat up those who had arrived, natives of Chechnya have told.

The police took to a police station journalist Idris Yusupov and Magomed Magomedov, the deputy editor-in-chief of the Dagestani weekly newspaper “Chernovik” (Rough Draft), who went out to solo pickets in Makhachkala.

In Magas, a court began considering a case against Leyla Chemurzieva, who was accused of possessing an explosive device. The testimony which investigators insisted on was given by Leyla Chemurzieva after torture and threats, the Human Rights Protection Centre “Memorial” reported.

Continuation of the blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh, news about the Abdulmumin Gadjiev’s case, threat to the life of Mikhail Saakashvili, verdict to Ingush activists and hunger strikes of Azerbaijani oppositionists, – see the review of these and other events in the Caucasus during the week of January 9-15, 2023, prepared by the “Caucasian Knot”.

The Krasnodar Court of Cassation has cancelled the decision to prosecute Alexei Mandrigelya, an activist.

Nazhmudin Abdurakhmanov, a resident of Khasavyurt, has challenged at the Supreme Court (SC) of Dagestan the fine of 40,000 roubles imposed on him for his pacifist posts in social networks.