News

An investigator from Chechnya questioned in Moscow Elena Milashina, a journalist of the newspaper “Novaya Gazeta”, in connection with an attack on her in Grozny. A lawyer of the “Team Against Torture” (TaT)* requested the investigators to provide the journalist with state protection for investigative actions in Chechnya in connection with the threat to her life.

Convicted human rights defender Igor Nagavkin requested the court of appeal to question participants in the investigation, the victim, and the fourth defendant in the case on theft, but the Volgograd Regional Court refused to grant the request. The motions of Igor Nagavkin and another convict to request materials of the case and exclude evidence were also dismissed.

The authorities of Switzerland have considered illegal the stay in the country of Chechen native Ali Bataev, who arrived from Ukraine, and intend to deport him to Russia. Ali Bataev went on a hunger strike, as he believes that he will be persecuted by the authorities of Chechnya.

In Rostov-on-Don, the military court refused to change the verdict against Valery Kotovich, Colonel of the “Rosgvardiya”, convicted under the article on disseminating false information about the Russian Armed Forces.

The testimonies of some secret witnesses, which made the basis for the verdict against the Ingush oppositionists, contradict those of MPs and high-ranking law enforcers. The latter testified to the desire of the defendants to prevent violence at the rally, Magomed Abubakarov, the advocate for Barakh Chemurziev, has stated at the trial.

In his last plea, Igor Nagavkin, a human rights defender, has doubted the impartiality of the appellate court and refused to ask for verdict mitigation. His advocate, Ilya Govorukhin, pointed to inconsistencies in the case files, while Sergey Ivaschenko, another advocate, has noted that such inconsistencies arise when courts fail to question important witnesses.

Border guards at the Minvody Airport have forced Olga Begretova, a human rights defender, to give her fingerprints and biological material, although these procedures are not provided for by the law. However, investigators found no violations in border guards' actions.

In Grozny, Alan Batyrkhanov, who had signed a contract for military service, has been sentenced to a year in prison for more than two-week-long absence from his military unit.

The Supreme Court (SC) of Dagestan has for the second time considered the case of Artyom Magomedov, the head of the Rutul ROVD (District Interior Division), accused of beating a detainee and again replaced his conditional sentence with a real imprisonment.

Investigators have groundlessly ignored the application lodged by Magomed Magomedov, a deputy editor-in-chief of the "Chernovik" outlet, who demanded to bring to justice the policemen, who disrupted his solo picket, held in June 2022.

The Supreme Court of Kabardino-Balkaria granted a claim filed by the public organization “Patient Monitor” and invalidated the provisions of the territorial programme of state guarantees of free medical care for citizens of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR) for 2023-2025, concerning per capita funding standards.

Elena Milashina, a journalist of the "Novaya Gazeta" outlet, and Alexander Nemov, an advocate, who were attacked in Grozny, have been discharged from the hospital under medical supervision.

The Nalchik Garrison Military Court in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR) has sentenced two soldiers, who failed to appear at their military unit, to real prison terms.

The decision to liquidate the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial"* was appealed against at the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR); in the complaint, the lawyers pointed out the violation of six articles of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

A court recognized a drawing in the form of a white-blue-white flag as an extremist symbol and arrested Radmir Tuleshev, a resident of Volgograd, for 10 days.

Attack on Milashina and Nemov in Chechnya, Zarema Musaeva’s case, 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 July 3-9, 2023, prepared by the “Caucasian Knot”.

The police conducted a search at a house of Astrakhan lawyer Sarvan Gasanov after the activist had held a picket in support of Alexei Navalny*. Sarvan Gasanov claimed that the seized leaflets were planted to him and suggested that law enforcers intended to institute a criminal case against him under the article on extremist.

Ulker Gashimova, a native of Makhachkala, who was detained at a Moscow airport, has the right to defend herself, but cases of complete refusal of the services of an advocate are very rare, reports advocate Yevgeny Chernousov.

The inactivity of investigators reduced the chances of identifying those who ordered the murder of politician Boris Nemtsov, and top-ranking Chechen officials were never questioned in the case, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) noted, recognizing a violation of the article of the Convention on Human Rights on the right to life.

A court in Stavropol has fined Rasim Gamidov, a local resident, by 30,000 roubles after finding that his social media comment had discredited Russian militaries.