Geneva-Paris-Brussels,
June 21, 2019. Human rights defender Oyub
Titiev was released on parole today after serving 17 months of a four-year
prison sentence on fabricated charges. Titiev and the human rights NGO for
which he was working, Memorial, have long been a thorn in the side of the local
authorities due to their key role in documenting grave human rights violations
in Chechnya.
The World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and FIDH, in the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, together with International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR), welcome the release on parole of Oyub Titiev, Head of the Human Rights Center (HRC) "Memorial" office in Chechnya, but once again call on the authorities to annul his conviction, provide him with full reparation and furnish guarantees that he and all other human rights defenders will be allowed to pursue their vital human rights work without any further impediment or harassment by local or federal officials.

“We are
relieved Oyub is finally free. However, for any first-time
offender of a non-serious crime it’s common practice to obtain early release on
parole. What was extraordinary, was the fabricated criminal case against Titiev
and the deeply flawed trial before a court in Chechnya,” said Gerald Staberock, OMCT Secretary
General.
On March 18,
2019, the Shali
City Court sentenced Titiev to four years in prison for “possession of
marijuana in large quantities” (Article 228(2) of the Russian Criminal Code).
Titiev, who was detained since his arrest on January 9, 2018, recently
applied for early release in accordance with Russian law and on June 10, 2019
the Shali City Court approved his application.
“Oyub
should never have been detained in the first place. The authorities should
restore his rights after 17 months of abusive court proceedings, arbitrary
detention and smear campaigns,” said Dimitris
Christopoulos, FIDH President.
Today the Observatory and
IPHR publish an observation note on the trial and conviction of Oyub Titiev.
The note shows how the trial was replete with violations of fair trial
standards. Prior to the
start of the trial, the leader of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, publicly claimed
that Titiev is a drug user, thereby violating the presumption of innocence of
the accused. During the eight-month long trial, the judge refused repeatedly defense
motions to conduct an investigation into well-substantiated allegations that
marijuana had been planted in Titiev’s car.
“The
release of Ouyb is great news for his family, colleagues and entire human
rights movement in and outside Russia. The case proves the importance of
coordinated solidarity and support which can lead to successful outcomes even
in authoritarian contexts”, said Brigitte Dufour, Director of IPHR.
You can read the trial
observation note here.
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The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights
Defenders (the Observatory) was created in 1997 by OMCT and FIDH. The objective
of this programme is to intervene to prevent or remedy situations of repression
against human rights defenders. OMCT and FIDH are both members of ProtectDefenders.eu, the European Union Human Rights Defenders
Mechanism implemented by international civil society.
IPHR is an
independent, non-governmental organization founded in 2008. Based in Brussels,
IPHR works closely together with civil society groups from different countries
to raise human rights concerns at the international level and promote respect
for the rights of vulnerable communities.
For
more information, please contact:
· OMCT: Iolanda Jaquemet / Roemer Lemaitre: + 41 79 539
41 06 / + 41 22 809 49 39
· FIDH: Eva Canan: + 33 6 48 05 91 57
· IPHR: Simon Papuashvili: +32 494 75 39
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