16 November 2020, 23:49
Rights defenders: new check of complaint about Tepsurkaev's kidnapping comes too late
Chechen investigators have started a new check of a complaint about the kidnapping of Salman Tepsurkaev, but have not yet reported the results of the previous one, the "Committee against Torture" (CaT) reports. According to lawyer Dmitry Piskunov, time for an effective investigation has been already lost.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on October 15, in Chechnya, investigators refused to institute a case on the kidnapping of Salman Tepsurkaev, a moderator of the 1Adat Telegram Channel.
In September, a wide public outcry was provoked by a video in which naked Salman Tepsurkaev was sitting down on a bottle while explaining that he was doing that as punishment for his collaboration with the 1Adat Telegram Channel criticizing the authorities of Chechnya.
The human rights defenders insist that they should be informed about the results of the first check.
According to lawyer Dmitry Piskunov, the chances that the kidnapping of Salman Tepsurkaev will be effectively investigated in Chechnya are "extremely low."
The whereabouts of Salman Tepsurkaev is still unknown, and this fact cannot but worry, the human rights defender notes. "Every day I have less and less hope that we will see Salman alive," he said.
Elizaveta, a wife of Salman Tepsurkaev, also criticized the investigator's work. According to the woman, the kidnappers of her husband have been identified, but the investigator ignores that fact, does not answer phone calls and messages, and does not provide materials of the check for examination.
This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on November 16, 2020 at 03:26 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.
Author: Alyona Sadovskaya Source: CK correspondent
