Oyub Titiev's colleagues tell about rights defenders' persecutions in Chechnya (+video)

The human rights defenders, who worked in Chechnya, received threats from high-ranking law enforcers and personally by Ramzan Kadyrov, but Oyub Titiev continued working in the republic, realizing the danger. This was stated at the trial by Dmitry Utukin and Sergey Babinets, members of the Joint Mobile Group (JMS).

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on October 16, Oyub Titiev stated the loss of his property after detention. He expressed particular concern because of the disappearance of his traumatic pistol, which could be used for criminal purposes.

At the court session on Monday, November 12, 20018, five Titiev's fellow villagers and neighbours were questioned. All of them spoke exclusively positively about the head of the Grozny office of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial".

Thus, Oyub Hasan Askolov, a fellow villager, expressed his readiness to swear on the Koran that Titiev had never had anything to do with narcotic drugs, did not drink and smoke.

Dmitry Utukin noted that Titiev was involved in the matters involving officials; and the likelihood of law enforcers' pressure on him was high. As an example of such pressure on rights defenders in Chechnya, Mr Utukin recollected the arson of the JMG's office and provocations against employees of the "Committee against Torture" (CaT).

Personally, the head of Chechnya once rudely ordered rights defenders to leave the republic, Dmitry Utukin has stressed.

Sergey Babinets has confirmed his colleague's words about law enforcers' permanent pressure on Oyub Titiev. In his opinion, Oyub is the best human rights professional in Chechnya.

Titiev himself has doubted that his seized belongings and equipment will ever be found and help to prove his innocence.