News

April 04, 2024 20:51

• Verdict for appealing to Kadyrov surprises rights defenders

  The court made a strange ruling by qualifying the appeal to the head of Chechnya by a resident of the Khabarovsk Territory, Zakhar Zaripov, as justification of terrorism, human rights defenders have stated.

April 04, 2024 19:50

• Volgograd activist complains about disclosure of his personal data

  Roman Melnichenko, who was fired from the Volgograd State University for his oppositional statements, has filed a complaint with the prosecutor's office against a local TV channel, which had disclosed his personal data and accused him of sabotage due to an action in memory of Alexei Navalny.

April 04, 2024 18:43

• Blogger Alibekov’s case on discrediting Russian Army sent for reconsideration

  In Krasnodar, the Court of Cassation cancelled the verdict to Askhabali Alibekov, a native of Dagestan, under the article on discrediting the Russian Armed Forces and sent his case for reconsideration, although the blogger had already served his sentence.

April 04, 2024 17:09

• Human rights defenders call to support Oleg Orlov*

  Colleagues of human rights defender Oleg Orlov* called on to write letters to him to a SIZO (pre-trial prison) on the occasion of his birthday, but noted that uncoordinated actions of solidarity and excessive creativity could harm the convict.

April 03, 2024 23:17

• Police treat the death of Askhab Uspanov, detained after the terror act at Crocus City Hall, as suicide

  The detention of Askhab Uspanov had nothing to do with the terror act at Crocus City Hall; and law enforcers treat his death at the police station as suicide, the Chechen Ombudsperson has stated.

April 03, 2024 23:09

• Verdict to teenager from Adygea in case on high treason changed

  The court of appeal changed the verdict to Kevin Lik, an 18-year-old teenager from Maykop, sentenced in a case on high treason. The court excluded the term of restriction of freedom from the verdict, leaving in force the sentence of four years of imprisonment.

April 03, 2024 22:49

• Inquiry launched into disappearance of Chechen Seda Suleimanova

  In response to requests demanding to investigate the disappearance of Seda Suleimanova, a native of Chechnya, the Investigating Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF) has announced the start of a criminal investigation, the SK SOS Crisis Group* has informed.

April 03, 2024 22:27

• Advocate criticized expertise outcomes in murder of 19-year-old teen in Dagestan

  The expert had based her conclusions about the nature of the wounds inflicted on Magomed-Ali Sultanov, 19, a resident of the Dagestani city of Kayakent, on the data of her colleague, who had left Dagestan and could not be questioned, Ilyas Saidov, an advocate, has informed.

April 03, 2024 22:17

• Rights defender Orlov* has time for studying case files restricted

  A doctor has prescribed treatment for Oleg Orlov*, convicted in the case of discrediting the Russian Army, but the judge demanded that he complete his review of the case materials by April 5 inclusive; she has accused him of "protracting" the process, human rights defenders have informed.

April 03, 2024 20:45

• Pyatigorsk resident fined for pro-Ukrainian name of Wi-Fi network

  Artyom Galidi from Pyatigorsk used a Ukrainian slogan, recognized as extremist in Russia, as the name of his Wi-Fi network. The court fined him 4000 roubles for displaying in public the symbols of extremist organizations.

April 03, 2024 17:44

• Chechen native, detained after terror act at Crocus City Hall, dies at regional police station in Moscow

  Askhab Uspanov, a native of Chechnya, was detained in Moscow after the terror act at the Crocus City Hall concert hall and died several hours after the detention, his mother said. The woman claims that her son was tortured before his death.

April 03, 2024 16:53

• Astrakhan resident fined for LGBT* symbols

  A court in Astrakhan fined local resident Oksana Savich 1000 roubles for photographs posted on social networks that were recognized as LGBT* symbols.

April 02, 2024 23:48

• Blogger from Bataysk fined for statements against SMO fighters

  The court in Bataysk has treated the statements posted in a social network by Nelly Shtefan about the participants in the special military operation (SMO) in Ukraine as discrediting the Russian Army and fined her by 30,000 roubles. The girl has apologized, linking her statements to medical drug effects, but then said that she had recorded the apology under pressure.

April 02, 2024 22:58

• Complaint of rights defender Nagavkin against verdict in theft case sent for revision

  The Court of Cassation in the Krasnodar Territory has overturned the ruling of the Volgograd Regional Court, which upheld the verdict of human rights defender Igor Nagavkin in the theft case. It was again sent for consideration to the appellate instance.

April 02, 2024 21:58

• Rights defenders declare Evgenia Maiboroda, an activist, a political prisoner

  Evgenia Maiboroda, a pensioner from the city of Shakhty, has been sentenced to imprisonment for her pacifist position; her persecution is politically motivated and must be stopped, the human rights project "Support for Political Prisoners. Memorial" has stated.

April 02, 2024 21:18

• Rights defenders complaint to the ECtHR about Tepsurkaev's murder

  The "Team against Torture" (TaT)* has sent a complaint to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) demanding that Russian authorities be held responsible for the murder of Salman Tepsurkaev, a native of Chechnya, and for the inefficient inquiry into his death.

April 02, 2024 19:29

• Lawyers treat the spring draft as creeping mobilization

  The introduction of electronic summonses and associated restrictions on person's rights have become the main features of the new draft; however, in Northern Caucasus, it will only result in an increase of the upper conscription age, lawyers have noted.

April 02, 2024 18:56

• Analysts assess reasons for underground activation in Northern Caucasus

  The activation of the radical underground in Northern Caucasus may be associated with external actors who are trying to worsen the situation inside Russia, but someone inside Russia is helping them, analysts have noted.

April 02, 2024 17:15

• Orlov* provided with no medical care at SIZO, human rights defender’s colleagues claim

  Oleg Orlov* asked for medical help due to a cold and hearing loss, but was not examined by medical officers at a SIZO (pre-trial prison) because of his daily trips to court. An advocate of Oleg Orlov* has not been able to have a confidential conversation with him for two weeks, the “Memorial” Centre for Human Rights Defence** reported.

April 01, 2024 23:17

• Week in the Caucasus: review of main events of March 25-31, 2024

  CTO in Dagestan, persecution of pacifists and activists in Southern Russia, prisons for Azerbaijani oppositionists, news from Georgia, and official data on the natives of Southern Russia who perished in Ukraine, – see the review of these and other events in the Caucasus during the week of March 25-31, 2024, prepared by the “Caucasian Knot”.