Rights defenders concerned over transfer of trial on CER in case of Oyub Titiev, head of HRC "Memorial" office in Grozny

Human rights defenders believe the postponement of a court hearing on the conditional early relief (CER) of Oyub Titiev, the head of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" office in Grozny, raised questions about the delay in the trial and the orientation on the Oyub Titiev's release.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on March 18, the court found Oyub Titiev guilty of drug possession and sentenced him to four years of imprisonment. The human rights defender refused to file an appeal against the verdict in the hope of CER in May. Today, the court was to consider a motion for the conditional early relief of Oyub Titiev, but public prosecutor insisted on postponing the court hearing.

Advocate Pyotr Zaikin does not see anything alarming in postponing the court hearing on the CER. According to the advocate, the Prosecutor's Office needs time to determine its position on the issue of the conditional early relief of Oyub Titiev.

Ekaterina Sokiryanskaya, Director of the Conflict Analysis and Prevention Centre, expressed the idea of a possible delay in the trial.

The reason for the postponement of the court hearing indicates that public prosecutors did not receive any orientation for the conditional early relief of Oyub Titiev, believes Svetlana Gannushkina, the head of the "Civic Assistance Committee".