Chechen refugee Magomed Gadaev released

Magomed Gadaev, a refugee from Chechnya deported from France, who was kept at the airport after arriving in Moscow, was set free. This was announced by Igor Kalyapin, the chairman of the Committee against Torture (CaT).

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the 37-year-old Gadaev cut his stomach in order to disrupt his deportation from France to Russia. In Moscow, border guards refused to release him.

"Magomed Gadaev, illegally deported from France, and then kept by FSB agents at Sheremetyevo Airport for more than 12 hours without legal grounds and admission of an advocate to him, has been set free," Mr Kalyapin wrote on the Facebook.

After his arriving in Moscow, Gadaev was not allowed to contact his family and was not even given food, the "Novaya Gazeta" newspaper has reported.

According to Gadaev, law enforcers interrogated him for several hours; they were interested in the reasons for his departure from Russia and extradition from France. Then they said that "they have an agreement to send him to his place of residence in Chechnya."

Magomed Gadaev is a witness in a criminal case against Chechen law enforcers under the articles of "Kidnapping" and "Exceeding official powers"; the case is still being investigated; and his life is in real danger, the "Novaya Gazeta" claims.