Native of Ingushetia claims falsification of his case in Chechnya

In Chechnya, Alan Khamkhoev, a native of Ingushetia, has been sentenced to a year in penal colony for illegal possession of a pistol with cartridges that he had found. Alan has stated that Chechen investigators falsified the materials of his criminal case.

According to the prosecution, in April 2022, Khamkhoev found a pistol with cartridges in the forest, which he initially kept there; and in March 2023, he took it with him to the marketplace, where the weapon was found by policemen. Since his detention, Khamkhoev has been in custody.

Khamkhoev has pleaded guilty, but after sentencing, he appealed against his verdict at the Supreme Court (SC) of Chechnya, the "Kavkaz.Realii"* project has reported.

In his complaint, he stated that two days before his detention at the marketplace, he was taken to the investigating department, where he was "put under mental and physical pressure, under which he was forced to confess." Khamkhoev was also forced to testify about his possible involvement in a murder to which he had nothing to do.

"Fearing for his life, Khamkhoev, misleading the advocate, insisted on his false testimony," the complaint says.

The Chechen SC has treated such a statement as an attempt to escape criminal liability and upheld the verdict.

*Included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) into the register of foreign agents.