Barakhoev, Malsagov, Nalgiev, Uzhakhov and Chemurziev were not involved in ‘organising acts of violence.’ On the contrary, they sought to prevent clashes between protesters and law enforcement officers.
We agree with the experts on international humanitarian law that the Kerch incident is an international military conflict, and the Ukrainian sailors who have been detained are prisoners of war.
It is highly likely that the criminal case was completely fabricated and the defendants have been victims of a provocation by the law enforcement agencies
Oyub Titiev, head of Memorial Human Rights Centre’s Grozny office, was tried in a fabricated case under Article 228, Part 2, of the Russian Criminal Code (possession of drugs). On March 11, he made his final statement in court. The verdict was announced on March 18. He was sentenced to four years in a low-security prison colony.
On 6 March in Moscow lawyers and human rights defenders held a press conference titled: ‘The trial of Oyub Titiev: on the eve of the final oral statements by the parties.’
As usual in such cases, the evidence the defendants committed terrorism offences consists in their participation in meetings, discussion of ideological questions, and attempts to spread their ideas among other Muslims.
