Relatives of Asiyat Tekhazheva, detained in Chechnya, cannot find lawyer to defend her

Lawyers refer to various reasons and refuse to defend the interests of Asiyat Tekhazheva, a resident of Kabardino-Balkaria, who was detained in Chechnya on suspicion of preparing a terror act. This was declared by Karina Sokurova, the sister of Astemir Sokurov, the detainee's husband.

"Some lawyers claimed being busy and refused to defend the interests of Asiyat Tekhazheva, and some state that they do not deal with such cases," Karina Sokurova told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on June 27, staff members of the Department of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) in Grozny detained Asiyat Tekhazheva on suspicion of preparing to commit a terror act in Dagestan. Asiyat Tekhazheva herself denies the charges of planning a terror act. The detainee's relatives appealed to human rights defenders and law enforcement agencies demanding to exercise the right to defend Asiyat Tekhazheva and inform them on her whereabouts.

According to Karina Sokurova, till present, the relatives do not know where Asiyat Tekhazheva, who three weeks ago celebrated her 18th birthday, is being kept in Grozny, in Nalchik, or in Pyatigorsk.

Karina Sokurova also insists that at the time of her detention, Asiyat Tekhazheva travelled to Dagestan to go to study. She has explained that the choice fell on Dagestan, since men and women learn separately there, and, besides, the madrassa provides its student with dormitory accommodation.

With regard to the fact that at the apartment, where Asiyat Tekhazheva lived, an improvised explosive device (IED) and weapons were found, Karina Sokurova stated that she was "surprised by that information, since two more girls lived with Asiyat, and it was unlikely that, leaving for studies, she could leave an IED at the apartment."

Meanwhile, according to the MIA in the North-Caucasian Federal District (NCFD), police officers seized from Asiyat Tekhazheva, the resident of Kabardino-Balkaria, who was detained in Grozny, extremist literature and a suicide note. On June 28, the Chief Department of the MIA in the NCFD reported that combat engineers carried out works in the outskirts of Nalchik on demining the IED at the apartment of suspected suicide bomber Asiyat Tekhazheva. The results are still unknown.