Rights defenders: European Parliament takes special note on Oyub Titiev's case

On February 8, the European Parliament plans to discuss the arrest of Oyub Titiev, the head of the Chechen branch of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial". The HRC has handed the materials on the Titiev's case to the European Parliament, said Oleg Orlov, a member of the board of the HRC "Memorial". The European Parliament shows that the persecution of Titiev is not an ordinary case, but an encroachment on the human rights movement itself, said Ekaterina Sokiryanskaya, the Director of the Centre for Conflict Analysis and Prevention.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Oyub Titiev was arrested on January 11 on charges of possessing marijuana. He claims that the drug was planted on him.

The consideration of the Titiev's case is an expression of international public support, Mr Orlov believes.

"This is an attempt by the European partners... to draw attention to the blatant fact of falsification of the criminal case against a well-known rights defender," he said.

Mr Orlov has noted that various European structures, from individual EU countries up to the European Parliament, were concerned about the state of human rights activities in Chechnya.

"The resolution of the European Parliament will have international significance, but will the appeals of European structures affect Russian authorities? Sometimes they do, sometimes they do not," Oleg Orlov has added.