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On 9 January 2018, the head of the Chechen branch of Memorial, Uyub Titiev, was arrested in Grozny for the illegal acquisition and possession of narcotics, after the discovery of drugs in his car. A case made, according to the defendant and human rights defenders in Russia. Uyub Titiev faces up to ten years in prison.
With our correspondent in Moscow, Etienne Bouche
It has been more than a year since Uyub Titiev was arrested in Chechnya. The 61-year-old human rights activist heads Memorial's headquarters in the Russian Caucasus republic. In Moscow, activists of the organization met on Wednesday, March 6 to denounce a case that they believe mounted from scratch. One of his lawyers, Ilya Novikov, castigates a rude "compromat", a staging of a political nature.
" For the Chechen Republic, it is a very important point : that a man of a certain age, who calls himself a Muslim who is very religious, possesses drugs and has been seen to be consuming them. Such a situation instantly destroys one's reputation and moral authority. Because for those who made this case, it was not only to stop Titiev, but to prevent him from working, to do his job at the head of Memorial in Chechnya. It had to be discredited, "says Ilya Novikov.
Oïoub Titiev's case reveals the critical situation of NGOs in Russia, particularly in the North Caucasus. They have considerably reduced their presence in Chechnya since the 2009 murder of Natalia Estemirova , the activist who was at the time a memorial in that republic. Last month, MEPs called for the immediate release of Uyub Titiev. The verdict of his trial should be known before the end of the month.