04 September 2018, 09:59
Chechen law enforcers explain persecution of Azamat Baiduev
Azamat Baiduev, a resident of Chechnya, who was declared kidnapped after being deported to Russia from Poland, is suspected of links with Syrian militants, the Chechen Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) has reported.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Akhmed Gisaev, the head of the Human Rights Analysis Centre, informed about Azamat Baiduev's kidnapping in the Chechen village of Shalazhi. According to Gisaev, on September 1, Baiduev was taken away from the house by armed men without any explanations.
In their turn, law enforcers have reported that Baiduev was taken to the police department and confessed to the involvement in Syrian militants.
"In the territory of Syria, in one of armed clashes, he received a gunshot wound," the MIA of Chechnya reports in its Telegram-channel.
A criminal case has been opened against Baiduev; he faces from 8 to 15 years in prison.
According to Kheda Saratova, a member of the Human Rights Council under the head of Chechnya, Baiduev was released on September 3.
In 2007, Azamat Baiduev was granted asylum in Poland, and soon moved to Belgium. In the summer of 2017, Belgian law enforcers detained Baiduev, referring to information of their French colleagues about his "possible involvement in preparing terror acts." These suspicions were not confirmed, but the man was deported to Poland.
Reports about the fate of Baiduev appeared after the Amnesty International (AI) urged Russian authorities to disclose information about the whereabouts of the native of Chechnya and ensure respect for his rights.
This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on September 4, 2018 at 00:55 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.
