11:19, 9 February 2021

ECtHR orders Russia to admit doctors and advocates to detained natives of Chechnya

Russian authorities are obliged to ensure access of advocates, doctors and relatives to the two natives of Chechnya, convoyed from Nizhny Novgorod to Chechnya, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in Strasbourg has ruled.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that law enforcers had brought the 20-year-old Salekh Magamadov and his brother from Nizhny Novgorod to Chechnya. On February 6, the young men were interrogated under two criminal cases as witnesses and then detained again. A lawyer from the "Russian LGBT Network" has found that both were kept at the detention centre in Urus-Martan. At the same time, the detainees' father has complained about law enforcers' pressure.

On February 7, 2021, Akhmed Dudaev, Minister of Information and Press of Chechnya, said that the young men were suspected of helping a militant from Aslan Byutukaev's grouping and gave confessions. Law enforcers have suspected the gay and the transgender, who mocked religion, of aiding militants, the "Novaya Gazeta" writes.

Since February 4, the advocates of the "Russian LGBT Network", Alexander Nemov and Mark Alekseev, have not been allowed to meet their clients; and since the moment of their detention, the advocates have not been explained the reason; the advocates have not been informed of the whereabouts of Magamadov and his brother, have not been provided with case materials and have not allowed to visit the detainees, the release says.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on February 8, 2021 at 09:41 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.