HRC "Memorial" reports threats to relatives of Chechen rights defender Oyub Titiev
Law enforcers have demanded from relatives of Oyub Titiev, the detained Chechen rights defender, that his son and brother should appear at the police, otherwise they would face troubles. This was reported by the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial".
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Titiev was detained in Chechnya on January 9. According to policemen, some 180 grams of marijuana was found on him. A criminal case was opened against Titiev, said his advocate.
The "Novaya Gazeta" has noted that the episode with Titiev is similar to those with the rights defender Ruslan Kutaev and the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent Zhalaudi Geriev. Given the fate of the abducted and murdered Natalia Estemirova, there is every reason to fear for Titiev's life, rights defenders believe.
According to the HRC "Memorial", on January 9 and 10, law enforcers tried to "persuade Titiev to self-accusation," threatening that otherwise his relatives might have "serious troubles."
Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.