Sources report liberation of those detained for kidnapping Schepikhin

The Chechen law enforcers accused within the criminal case of kidnapping the blogger, Areg Schepikhin, have escaped placement into custody.

All the detainees involved in kidnapping Areg Schepikhin were released on recognizance not to leave the place, the anonymous Telegram channel "Baza" has reported today. The sources of this information are not indicated in the report.

"According to the ‘Baza’, investigators wouldn’t arrest any of the six persons suspected under the articles ‘Kidnapping’ (Article 126) and ‘Abuse of Official Powers’ (Article 286 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). They were all released on recognizance not to leave the place. The kidnapped person himself – the blogger Areg Schepikhin – was arrested for two months," the report says.

The information about the release of the detainees was also posted today by the Telegram channel "Beware, News". "Those detained for kidnapping Areg Schepikhin were not arrested. Areg Schepikhin himself is kept at the SIZO (pre-trial prison) since last Friday. The 48 hours from the moment of detention, which the Investigating Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF) reported on Thursday, expired on Saturday afternoon. During this time, the court did not even register the case materials ... This means that the detainees were released in the status of accused ones," the report says.

This was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on June 9, 2025 at 12:52 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.