18:45, 26 November 2018

Judge refuses to release rights defender Oyub Titiev under a guarantee

Oyub Titiev and his defence at the court. Photo courtesy of the Human Rights Centre "Memorial"

According to the Judge, Svetlana Gannushkina, the chair of the "Civil Assistance Committee", who acted as a guarantor for Chechen rights defender Oyub Titiev, is biased, since she is his colleague and friend.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that since January 11, Oyub Titiev has been kept in custody on the charge of marijuana possession. On November 20, the defence filed a motion for his release under the personal guarantee of Svetlana Gannushkina, the chair of the "Civil Assistance Committee".

According to the Judge, there is not enough evidence that the previous grounds for the Oyub Titiev's arrest have disappeared.

The Judge has also recalled that the Oyub Titiev's family members left Chechnya, "allegedly fearing for their safety," and the defendant himself has a foreign passport.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on November 26, 2018 at 01:10 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.