Employees of “Memorial” detained after searches in case on rehabilitation of Nazism

The police came with searches to the house of Oleg Orlov, the co-chair of the Human Rights Protection Centre “Memorial”, who paid much attention to the problem of kidnappings in Northern Caucasus and victims among the civilian population in Chechnya and Ingushetia. The police also carried out searches in the case on the rehabilitation of Nazism at places of residence of other human rights defenders cooperating with the Human Rights Protection Centre.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on March 4, it became known that a case was instituted against employees of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) “Memorial”* on the rehabilitation of Nazism. Oleg Orlov suggested that the purpose of disseminating that information was to force employees to leave Russia.

The Human Rights Protection Centre “Memorial” reports in its Telegram channel that the searches were carried out at the houses of Oleg Orlov, Yan Rachinsky, as well as the former employees of the liquidated Human Rights Centre (HRC) “Memorial”* and the “International Memorial”* (International Historical Educational Charitable and Human Rights Society “Memorial”), including Alexandra Polivanova, Nikita Petrov, Galina Iordanskaya, Alyona Kozlova, Irina Ostrovskaya, and Alexander Guryanov. In addition, searches were carried out at the house of the Alexandra Polivanova’s mother.

Let us remind you that Oleg Orlov has been working in the military conflict zone in Chechnya since 1994. When in 1995, a detachment of militants led by Shamil Basaev took about 1500 people hostage in Budyonnovsk, the truce envoys and human rights defenders, including Oleg Orlov, agreed to release 111 women and children.

Since 2008, the HRC “Memorial”* has been seeking compensation for residents of Dagestani villages affected by the Irganai hydroelectric power plant (HPP).

Lawyers of the HRC “Memorial”* were defending the rights of migrants to Ingushetia from Chechnya in 2019. The human rights defenders from the HRC “Memorial”* were supporting the struggle of Murtazali Gasanguseinov, the father of shepherds killed in Dagestan.

*The organization was included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) in the register of NCOs, performing the functions of a foreign agent, and was liquidated by a court’s decision.