01:16, 23 October 2016

"Civil Rights Defenders" calls on to stop prosecuting advocates of Nikolai Karpyuk and Stanislav Klykh

Advocate Marina Dubrovina. Photo: Anton Naumlyuk (RFE/RL)

The human rights organization "Civil Rights Defenders" has called on the Russian authorities to immediately stop the prosecution of advocates Marina Dubrovina and Dokka Itslaev, who represented the interests of Stanislav Klykh and Nikolai Karpyuk at the trial in Grozny. Members of the "Civil Rights Defenders" believe that the prosecution of the advocates is aimed at punishing them for their activities to protect human rights.

The criminal case against Stanislav Klykh and Nikolai Karpyuk was considered by the Supreme Court (SC) of the ChechenRepublic starting from October 27, 2015, and involved a jury. The jurors unanimously found both defendants guilty, and pronounced that Stanislav Klykh deserved leniency. Nikolai Karpyuk was sentenced to 22 years and 6 months of imprisonment, and Stanislav Klykh to 20 years of imprisonment.

According to investigators, on December 31, 1994, Karpyuk and Klykh, being members of the UNA-UNSO organization (banned in Russia), took part in warfare in Grozny and killed at least 30 Russian servicemen.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on May 27, Judge of the Supreme Court (SC) of the Chechen Republic pronounced special court ruling against advocates Marina Dubrovina and Dokka Itslaev. According to Judge Vakhit Ismailov, in the course of court hearings, the advocates committed acts "discrediting honour and dignity of an advocate." The Judge has proposed to deprive the advocates of their status.

"The pressure on advocates engaged in protecting human rights is a part of intensified persecution of any expression of criticism or disagreement with the Chechen authorities. We urge the Supreme Court to adhere to the rule of law in Chechnya and to withdraw the special court ruling," said Joanna Kurosh, Director for the Eurasia programme at the "Civil Rights Defenders".

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