Defence of Chechen Mukaev reports the risk of his return to Russia to court

If deported to Russia, Salman Mukaev, a native of Grozny, risks persecution and violence, his defence has stated at a court session held in Yerevan. Mukaev himself said that threats to his relatives living in Chechnya stopped after the Chechen law enforcers became aware of his whereabouts.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on May 25, 2023, a court in Yerevan began hearings on the lawsuit of Salman Mukaev against the Armenian Migration Service, which had refused to grant him political asylum. The court asked to provide proofs that people with non-traditional sexual orientation are persecuted in Chechnya.

The Migration Service denied Mukaev asylum with no legal justification, Sergey Grigoryan, an advocate, has stated. "The defence fears that he will be transferred to Chechnya from any region of Russia. Numerous publications and reports by human rights organizations prove that people are persecuted in Russia due to their sexual orientation," Mr Grigoryan has stated.

He has recalled the decision of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) on the "Lapunov versus Russia" case. "The ECtHR has confirmed the fact of torture of a Russian because of his sexual orientation," the advocate has explained.

"I hope the court decision will be on the side of human life," Eduard Aslanyan, another advocate, has stated and expressed hope that the Armenian court will proceed from the principle of protecting human rights.