Human rights defenders point to signs of torture used against Shoip Tutaev

Preacher Shoip Tutaev, who publicly renounced his criticism against Ramzan Kadyrov, was detained by law enforcers for a week, and his body bore signs of torture. This was reported by Svetlana Gannushkina, the leader of the Committee "Civil Assistance".

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that preacher Shoip Tutaev, who left Chechnya for abroad and actively criticized Ramzan Kadyrov, returned home. At a meeting with the Chechen leader, Shoip Tutaev publicly renounced his beliefs. The Chechen residents interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" believe Shoip Tutaev did that under pressure.

Shoip Tutaev was extradited to Russia from Bulgaria, and at home, he was immediately detained by Chechen law enforcers. This was told to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent by Svetlana Gannushkina, the leader of the Committee "Civil Assistance".

Before the reports on the Shoip Tutaev's return to his family members, nothing has been reported on the whereabouts of the preacher during a week after he had returned to Russia.

"On August 12, I was informed that Shoip Tutaev is at home and that his family members request to cancel all the submitted applications," Svetlana Gannushkina told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

According to Svetlana Gannushkina, the sharp rejection of the Shoip Tutaev's relatives to appeal for help to human rights defenders and law enforcers indicates that the preacher was tortured.

"Our communication with the Shoip Tutaev's relatives has stopped immediately after he returned home. This happens only in one case: when a person was tortured and then threatened that the situation would be even worse if the fact of torture was made public," said Svetlana Gannushkina.

According to the human rights defender, the fact that Shoip Tutaev was subjected to torture is also confirmed by typical signs on his arms.

"Similar signs occur when a person is tortured with electric current," Svetlana Gannushkina has explained.

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