20:52, 28 December 2016

Human rights defenders treat verdict against Zhalaudi Geriev as politically motivated

Advocate Alaudi Musaev makes a statement at the court. December 28, 2016. Photo by Patimat Makhmudova for the "Caucasian Knot"

The decision of the Chechen Supreme Court (SC) to uphold the verdict to Zhalaudi Geriev, a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent, was predictable. It proves the political nature of the prosecution. This was stated by human rights defenders Oleg Orlov, Tatiana Lokshina, and Lyudmila Alekseeva.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that today, the Chechen Supreme Court has upheld the verdict to Zhalaudi Geriev, who on September 5 was sentenced by the Shali District Court to three years of imprisonment on the charge of possession of marijuana.

According to Oleg Orlov, a member of the Board of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial", yet in the course of the trial at the first instance court, "it was clear that the case had been falsified".

In her turn, Tatiana Lokshina, a Russia programme director at Human Rights Watch (HRW), has noted that after the verdict to Zhalaudi Geriev, "the judicial system has again seriously compromised itself."

Lyudmila Alekseeva, the head of the Moscow Helsinki Group, also treats the Court's decision as unfair. Meanwhile, according to her, "no one could expect another court's decision in Chechnya."

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.

Author: Karina Gadzhieva

Source: CK correspondent