Plaque on the house where the office of the Human Rights Centre "Memorial" was located. Photo by Nina Tumanova for the "Caucasian Knot"

22 March 2023, 10:05

Female employee of the "Caucasian Knot" released after detention at "Memorial" office

During the searches conducted in the office of the "Memorial", an employee of the "Caucasian Knot" was detained; after interrogation she was released.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on March 21, after searches, employees of the "Memorial" Centre for Human Rights Defence, as well as those of the liquidated "International Memorial"* and the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial"* were detained within the case of Nazism rehabilitation. Oleg Orlov, a co-chairman of the of the "Memorial" Centre for Human Rights Defence, has been criminally prosecuted for repeated discrediting the Russian Army. The reason for opening a criminal case against him was his post placed in the social network written for a French outlet, in which experts found signs of discrediting the Russian Army. Under this case, investigators chose the measure of his freedom restraint in the form of the recognizance not to leave the country. However, after that, Orlov, along with some of the other detainees, was left for interrogation within the case of Nazism rehabilitation. Late at night it became known that he was released after interrogation.

On March 7, Yan Rachinsky, a former chairman of the "Memorial"* Society, noted that there was no confirmation of the information about the criminal case on Nazism rehabilitation against employees of "Memorial"*. Oleg Orlov, his colleague, has suggested that the purpose of disseminating this information was to force the society's employees to leave Russia.

After the searches conducted in the building in Maly Karetny Lane, where the office of the "Memorial"* was located, a female employee of the "Caucasian Knot" was also detained. At night, she was taken to the Investigating Department for the Tverskoy District of Moscow of the Investigating Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF); she was interrogated in the status of a witness by the investigator who is running the "Nazism rehabilitation" case.

Maxim Ovchinnikov, an advocate, who was brought in to help the above "Caucasian Knot" employee, said that the investigator "instructed three law enforcers not to allow" him to participate in the interrogation.

*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.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on March 22, 2023 at 02:29 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Source: Caucasian Knot

All news
НАСТОЯЩИЙ МАТЕРИАЛ (ИНФОРМАЦИЯ) ПРОИЗВЕДЕН И РАСПРОСТРАНЕН ИНОСТРАННЫМ АГЕНТОМ ООО “МЕМО”, ЛИБО КАСАЕТСЯ ДЕЯТЕЛЬНОСТИ ИНОСТРАННОГО АГЕНТА ООО “МЕМО”.

April 19, 2024 16:07

  • Kadyrov’s law enforcer harshly detained in Dagestan

    In Dagestan, at least six persons took part in the detention of a driver in a state of alcoholic intoxication. According to media reports, the drunk driver was identified as Major General Alikhan Tsakaev, Chechen Minister for Emergencies, a classmate of Ramzan Kadyrov.

April 19, 2024 16:03

April 19, 2024 15:01

April 18, 2024 23:58

  • Rights defenders declare Valery Bailo as political prisoner

    In violation of international legal norms, Valery Bailo, a Jehovah's Witness* from the Krasnodar Territory, was arrested on charges of extremism. The human rights project "Support for Political Prisoners. Memorial" has stated that his prosecution is politically motivated.

April 18, 2024 23:49

  • "Memory Project" reports consequences of forced disappearances in Chechnya

    The traumatic experience obtained by relatives of those who went missing in Chechnya doesn't pass without traceless. Families find themselves in a difficult financial situation; and children of those missing often face problems with law enforcement bodies, since authorities classify them as at risk of radicalization.

News archive