Charge of recruiting militants put forward in Chechnya against citizen of Georgia is untrue, says defence

The accusation of the 25-year-old citizen of Georgia Beslan Tsintsalashvili, who will face trial for an alleged persuasion of two residents of Chechnya to terrorist activities in the "Islamic State" grouping, is "very flimsy" and untrue, said Luiza Killaeva, the defendant's advocate.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that according to investigators, Tsintsalashvili was in Chechnya in July and August 2014 and had several meetings in Grozny with two locals and persuaded them to go to Syria to join illegal armed formations (IAFs) there. A criminal case was opened against Tsintsalashvili under Part 1, Article 205.1 (inducement to terrorist activity), of the Russian Criminal Code.

According to investigators, Beslan Tsintsalashvili promised the above residents of Chechnya to help them to get passports and travel from Georgia to Syria. In the Syrian territory, they were invited to participate in the war against the local authorities with the aim to "overthrow them and establish an extremist religious state," said the investigators.

As suggested by the advocate, the two local residents "were deliberately planted" on her client.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in September 2013 natives of Northern Caucasus formed a military unit "Al-Muhajireen" in the city of Aleppo in northern Syria. The unit is headed by a Chechen Abu Abdurakhman.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.