14:00, 26 March 2014

HRC "Memorial": Suleiman Edigov is on hunger strike in Grozny SIZO since March 14

Suleiman Edigov (in the centre) in the Supreme Court of Chechnya on March 26, 2014. Photo by the Public Oversight Commission of Chechnya "Committee Against Torture", http://pytkam.net/

Suleiman Edigov, a resident of Chechnya, is on hunger at SIZO (pre-trial prison) No. 1 of Grozny since March 14, the Human Rights Centre "Memorial" reports.

Edigov is accused of endangering the life of a law enforcer and illegal arms circulation; his case is considered by the Supreme Court of Chechnya.

According to the HRC, Edigov states that a biased attitude of a new judge was the cause of his protest.

The new judge's behaviour is fundamentally different from the previous one's – he rejects virtually all the motions of the defence, but at the same time satisfies all the demands of the prosecution, rights defenders assert.

"On March 14, 2014, Edigov stated that, given the stand of the judge, there is no hope for any objective judgment; and he has no way to protest, but to go on hunger strike," says the press release of the HRC "Memorial".

According to the HRC "Memorial", Suleiman Edigov was visited by members of the Public Oversight Commission of Chechnya, who said that "he looks bad – he is pale, his hands shaking, and he moves with great difficulty."