Court refuses to reconsider case against Chechen gays Magamadov and Isaev

In Pyatigorsk, a court has upheld the verdict to Ismail Isaev and Salekh Magamadov brothers, convicted in Chechnya for aiding and abetting a militant.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that the case against Salekh Magamadov and Ismail Isaev brothers has been under consideration since October 12, 2021. On February 22, in Chechnya, a court sentenced Salekh Magamadov to eight years and Ismail Isaev – to six years of imprisonment. On May 11, the Supreme Court (SC) of Chechnya refused to commute the sentence, and the defence filed an appeal against the verdict.

The judge decided to remove the testimonies of the police from the case file, but left the punishment unchanged, the “OVD-Info”* human rights project reported.

According to the “NC (Northern Caucasus) SOS Crisis Group”, advocates pointed to the inconsistency of the charges and numerous violations committed during the investigation and trial.

Let us remind you that since July 15, the defenders were refused in visiting Salekh Magamadov, and warders claimed that he was allegedly not in prison. On August 11, the defender was allowed to visit Salekh Magamadov, but their conversation was controlled by a prison officer, advocate Alexander Nemov reported.

The accusations of the brothers of aiding and abetting a militant are ridiculous, since the Chechen law enforcement bodies suspected the brothers, a gay and a transgender person, who were mocking religion, of complicity with a supporter of a radical movement in Islam, noted Elena Milashina, an observer of the newspaper “Novaya Gazeta”.

*Included in the register of unregistered public associations, acting as a foreign agent.