Rizvan Ibragimov claims his prosecution initiated by law enforcers

Chechen publicist Rizvan Ibragimov has claimed that the criminal proceedings against him were initiated by senior officials from the law enforcement and power agencies of the republic.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on June 20, the Staropromyslovsky District Court of Grozny sentenced Rizvan Ibragimov to two and a half years of conditional imprisonment on the charge of extremism.

The publicist believes that the verdict of guilty was predetermined.

"While the defender spoke for about three hours in total to voice arguments and evidence and to refute the charge, the prosecutor's speech lasted seven minutes. In the whole speech, the public prosecutor has just said that 'Paizulaeva said ...' (a prosecution witness, under whose complaint the criminal case was instituted. At the trial, she failed to remember what fact provoked her suspicion in the publicist's books, note of the 'Caucasian Knot'), 'the case materials contain results of the examination,' and that was all and nothing more," Rizvan Ibragimov himself commented on the pronounced verdict to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

The publicist has described the very verdict as unmotivated and unfounded. Rizvan Ibragimov has also announced his intention to challenge the verdict.

Regarding the complaint about torture, to which he was subjected after his arrest and the falsification of materials in his criminal case, the publicist has explained that he had filed a complaint to the law enforcement agencies.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.