Vadim Cheldiev faces new charges

Investigators suggest that Vadim Cheldiev is responsible for riots in Vladikavkaz. The defendant has been charged with disorderly conduct.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Vadim Cheldiev did not participate in an unsanctioned rally which took place in Vladikavkaz on April 20: prior to the start of the rally, the activist had been detained in Saint Petersburg in a case on public dissemination of knowingly false information about the coronavirus infection. The investigators claim that during his transfer, Vadim Cheldiev hit a law enforcer. Therefore, the activist was arrested already in a case on use of violence against a public officer. Vadim Cheldiev explained clashes at the rally in Vladikavkaz and a clash during his transfer by provocations arranged by law enforcers. Furthermore, Vadim Cheldiev is accused of extremism.

On May 27, Vadim Cheldiev was charged under another article of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation – about disorderly conduct. This has been reported today by Batraz Kulchiev, an advocate of Vadim Cheldiev. "All his problems are associated with his posts on social networks. The authorities suggest that he provoked riots," said Batraz Kulchiev as quoted by the "Interfax". The advocate has also noted that Vadim Cheldiev has been charged under already the fourth article of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

According to Andrei Sabinin, an advocate of Vadim Cheldiev from the human rights group "Agora", a resolution on involving his client in a criminal case as a defendant claims that the activist acted as an organizer of the rally, when he had called on users in his Telegram channel to come to a people's gathering. The investigators noted that the call had been made in an aggressive form. They concluded that Vadim Cheldiev was aware of the consequences of a rally in the form of "an uncontrolled, gross, massive violation of public order with resistance to public officers."

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on May 28, 2020 at 04:39 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.