Investigators fail to find confirmation that drug was planted on Titiev

The statement of the Chechen rights defender Oyub Titiev that the marijuana had been planted on him was checked; however, it was confirmed only by his words, the investigator has stated today at the court session.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that since January 11, Oyub Titiev, the head of the Grozny's office of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial", is in custody on charges of possessing marijuana. He keeps asserting that the drug had been planted on him by a law enforcer.

Today, the Staropromyslovsky District Court of Grozny has started considering the defence's complaint against the investigators' refusal to open a case on the drug planted on Oyub Titiev.

According to advocates, Titiev was brought to the police station twice after his detention, and it is the fact of his repeated delivery there proves that the case of possessing the drug has been falsified. Investigators assert that on the day Titiev was brought to the police station, the video cameras installed there did not work. The defence has indicated that the Titiev's case had lost the most important evidence of falsification.

In the course of the court session, the investigator has reported that the whole complex of necessary measures was carried out during the check; and Oyub Titiev's statement is still confirmed only by his words.

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