News

The Supreme Court (SC) of Chechnya has confirmed the conviction of Khusein Batalov and Yusup Dauev in the case of preparing murder motivated by religious hatred. Their defence alleged torture, but the court found these arguments unjustified.

An acquittal for Abdulmumin Gadjiev was unlikely, but given the absence of proofs in the charges, there was hope for a minimum sentence; therefore, the court's decision turned out to be unexpectedly harsh, friends of the Dagestani journalist have stated. In their opinion, appealing the verdict will not lead to the acquittal or any significant reduction in the prison term.

During the years of the counterterrorist operation (CTO) and the rule of Ramzan Kadyrov, thousands of people disappeared in Chechnya, but Russia failed to take measures to investigate their disappearances, says the report by Oleg Orlov and Alexander Cherkasov, human rights defenders.

The decision of the court, which sentenced Abdulmumin Gadjiev, Kemal Tambiev, and Abubakar Rizvanov to long terms of imprisonment, will be challenged, report advocates of the convicts. Friends of Abdulmumin Gadjiev have noted that the severe sentence was pronounced against the backdrop of the lack of real evidence of guilt.

The Supreme Court (SC) of Chechnya reduced the term of imprisonment for Zarema Musaeva to five years and replaced the term in a common-security penal colony with a settlement colony.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has ruled that in relation to Maxim Lapunov, who had claimed kidnapping and torture in Chechnya because of his sexual orientation, authorities had violated the articles prohibiting torture and discrimination and the right to the freedom and security of person.

The Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don has announced the verdict in the case of Abdulmumin Gadjiev, Abubakar Rizvanov and Kemal Tambiev, accused of financing terrorism. They were sentenced to terms from 17 to 18 years in prison.

Law enforcers have drawn up a report on discrediting the Russian Army against Sergey Latmentsev, a resident of Volgograd.

A military unit stationed in Volgograd refuses to dismiss a mobilized resident of Znamensk, who was recognized unfit for the military service by a military medical commission and a court. A lawyer has appealed to the court with a request to involve the Russian Minister of Defence (MoD) in the consideration of the mobilized Znamensk resident’s case.

Prior to the pronouncement of the verdict against Dagestani journalist Abdulmumin Gadjiev, residents of Dagestan are actively interested in the progress of the trial, and this fact was facilitated by the final speech delivered by the journalist, his colleagues and friends note. They believe that the verdict will be challenged.

Elections in Russia, persecution of pacifists and activists in Southern Russia, blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh, and official data on the natives of Southern Russia who perished in Ukraine, – see the review of these and other events in the Caucasus during the week of September 4-10, 2023, prepared by the “Caucasian Knot”.

A court in Novorossiysk has found Stanislav Shaforostov, a local resident, guilty of discrediting the Russian Army for making a pacifist inscription on the administration building. The judge took into account the defendant's remorse and imposed a fine on him that was half of that provided for by the administrative article.

The Krasnodar Garrison Military Court has rejected the lawsuit lodged by Vasily Kovalyov, 50, a local resident, who demanded to nullify his mobilization conscription. Kovalyov was drafted into the army on October 11, 2022, although he had the right to a deferment from conscription as an employee of an accredited IT company.

Elena Milashina, a journalist, has refused to attend the session of the Supreme Court (SC) of Chechnya that will consider the appeal complaint against the verdict passed to Zarema Musaeva. The refusal is caused by the absence of Chechen authorities' reaction to the question about the safety of the trip, Ms Milashina has explained.

Policemen decided not to draw up protocols against the opponents of the garbage dump detained at a protest action held in the Kumtorkala District, and limited themselves to a warning, said activist, Shamil Khadulaev. The detentions were conducted without any use of force, another protester has added.

Irina Danilovich, a resident of Crimea, sentenced to seven years in prison on charges of possessing explosives, has been transferred to the colony located in the town of Zelenokumsk. Her father has informed that her health condition had worsened sharply; the doctor prescribed some medicine; she is taking it, but Irina can only receive the due medical treatment at hospital.

In their final speech, Kemal Tambiev, Abdulmumin Gadjiev, and Abubakar Rizvanov have stated that public prosecution did not present any convincing evidence in court. The defendants have again pleaded not guilty.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in Strasbourg has ordered Russian authorities to pay compensations to the natives of Dagestan, Ingushetia, Karachay-Cherkessia, Krasnodar Territory and Chechnya, who had suffered from torture. The decision was made amid Russia's refusal to enforce ECtHR's decisions.

Three days after the statement made by Tatiana Solomina about the threats received by her from her client's relatives living in Chechnya, investigators have failed to question her, which is contrary to the requirement of the law, the SK SOS Crisis Group* has informed.

In the Stavropol Territory, military courts sentenced mobilized Vitaly Sayutin and Anton Degtyaryov to a year of probation, and Akhmed Murtsalov – to a fine in cases on drug trafficking. In Nalchik, a court sentenced Ilyas Sultygov to nine months of probation on the same charge. Participation in the special military operation was taken into account by the courts as a mitigating circumstance.