Freedom restriction measure for Schepikhin’s kidnappers defines criminal case outcome
The recognizance not to leave the place prescribed to the Chechen law enforcers, who had kidnapped the blogger Areg Schepikhin, has clearly shown that the case will be closed or the kidnappers will formally sign contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD). This fits into the trend of impunity of Chechen law enforcers.
The information about the release of Schepikhin’s kidnappers fits well into the context that Chechen law enforcers who figures in crimes outside the region get off with only formal punishments, Amina Lorsanova, a lawyer for the "Vaifond" human rights fund, believes.
"It would be strange if Schepikhin's kidnappers were punished. Here, of course, it’s obvious that no one will punish them, because they did it not on their own initiative. They were following orders from above, and to be more specific, the order came from Kadyrov," Ms Lorsanova told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.
In her opinion, Russian law enforcers are generally not punished unless they take some step without permission from above.
"That is, if they violate the law, commit illegal actions on their own initiative, without a permit and knowledge of their bosses, and then they may be punished. But when there was a permit from above, and then there will always be a way to justify them. In this sense, the immunity from criminal liability applies not only to Chechen law enforcers, but to others as well. It's just that for such dirty and gross violations as the kidnapping of this blogger, Ramzan Kadyrov's law enforcers are used. Although the blogger himself has spoken very dirtily and offensively about Muslims. But he should be punished according to the law, and not at the whim of Chechen authorities, who wanted to score political points allegedly as Islam defenders, but it is they who violate the Islamic laws and norms the most," Amina Lorsanova has noted.
The extremely lenient measure of freedom restraint for the law enforcers who had kidnapped Schepikhin fits into the trend of lenient or no punishments for Chechen law enforcers, believes Svetlana Gannushkina*, the chairperson of the Civic Assistance Committee*. Thus, the security guards of the State MP Adam Delimkhanov, and the officers of the Chechen battalion "Sever" (North), Said Akhmaev and Lechi Bolatbaev, have essentially escaped punishment. Federal law enforcers failed to take any real action to search Ruslan Geremeev, a figurant in the Nemtsov murder case. They are not punished, despite gross violations of the Criminal Code, Ms Gannushkina* is sure.
"This has long been the practice. These examples and the blogger story show that nothing has changed in this regard: Chechen law enforcers throughout Russia can break the law, and no one will punish them for it," she told the "Caucasian Knot".
Chechen law enforcers enjoy absolute immunity from criminal punishment throughout Russia, Svetlana Gannushkina* has emphasized. "Other Russian law enforcers are also mostly protected, but sometimes it happens that they are punished for one reason or another," she has added.
The most likely scenario is that they sign a contract with the MoD, and allegedly go to the special military operation (SMO)
The Chechen law enforcers who had kidnapped Schepikhin will not be punished in any case, but this time their "acquittal" will be more difficult, Vadim Prokhorov*, an advocate, has noted.
"They could have easily registered it (the kidnapping) as a detention, by placing him in the car as a passenger, in the back seat, for example. But they shoved him into the trunk, which is a certain problem for them and for the investigators who are handling the case. It will be very difficult to prove that it was a detention in this situation," he told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.
"The most likely scenario is that they sign a contract with the MoD, and allegedly go to the special military operation (SMO)," he has added.
Mr Prokhorov* has also noted that the blogger’s kidnapping and the release of the Chechen law enforcers reminded him of the story of the investigator's visit to Chechnya, who was searching there for Ruslan Geremeev, a figurant in the Nemtsov murder case.
"Analogies, of course, are obvious; you needn’t even look for them. The surname of Geremeev appears in this story too," he has emphasized.
Timur Filippov, an advocate, believes that it’s possible to document the blogger's kidnapping as a detention.
"This manipulation with legal wordings has not only relieved the perpetrators of responsibility – it has turned the very case essence upside down. This creates the appearance of legality, and most importantly, it legally nullifies the claims against the kidnappers," he told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.
In his opinion, the criminal case on the fact of kidnapping will be closed, "as evidenced by the maximum leniency of the freedom restriction measure chosen against them."
In the logic of modern reality, Mr Filippov has pointed out, all this will look absolutely "normal."
"The explanation is simple: the law in Russia is not a norm, but an instrument. It is turned on and off depending on the political will. And the court in such cases is not an arbitrator, but just a seal," he has concluded.
This was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on June 10, 2025 at 07:58 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.
*Included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) into the register of foreign agents.