Inquiry into complaint against deportation of Chechen Magomed Gadaev launched in France

A court in Paris has launched an investigation into the actions of the head of the French Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) and two other officials involved in the deportation of Magomed Gadaev, a native of Chechnya, who was then sentenced to imprisonment in his homeland. Gadaev has been released from colony, but was deprived of the opportunity to leave Chechnya, his wife said.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on April 8, 2021, Gadaev was detained in France after he failed to come to the police for a routine check. He wounded himself in the stomach to disrupt his deportation, but still was deported from France. He claimed then that he needed state protection, as his life was in danger. However, on April 11, 2021, Gadaev was handed over to law enforcers, who took him to Chechnya within the weapons possession case. On June 9, 2021, the court sentenced Gadaev to 1.5 years in colony.

The complaint against two prefects and the MIA head was filed in court over "complicity in enforced disappearance," the Le Parisien writes citing the AFP. Gerald Darmanin (the Interior Minister) signed the resolution to deport Gadaev – because of this, he is suspected of collaborating with Russian and Chechen authorities.

Manon Fillonnot, an employee of the Amnesty International (AI) has treated the above inquiry as "good news," because Chechens' deportations "are contrary to the international law."

On May 28, 2021, human rights defenders from the Amnesty France, the French League for Human Rights and the Comite Tchetchenie stated that French authorities were violating the international rules by deporting natives of Chechnya to Russia, where they are under threat of torture.