10 October 2018, 01:02

HRC "Memorial" calls for release of lawyer Benyash

The criminal prosecution of Mikhail Benyash, a lawyer from the Krasnodar Territory, for political reasons threatens the independence of the legal profession and respect for the right of citizens to legal protection, undermining the foundations of the Russian judiciary, the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" has stated.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Mikhail Benyash was detained on September 9 in Krasnodar, along with participants in an unsanctioned rally against the pension reform. According to Benyash, he was beaten after detention. The court arrested him for 14 days for disobeying a policeman. On September 23, upon the expiration of his administrative arrest, the lawyer was arrested for two months on suspicion of assaulting policemen and obstructing the administration of justice.

The arrest and the initial detention of Mikhail Benyash are unjustified and directly related to his advocacy activities, the HRC "Memorial" said in its statement issued on October 9.

Prosecutions of lawyers on fabricated charges encroach on the independence of the legal profession and the citizens' right to legal protection, undermining the foundations of the country's legal and judicial systems, the HRC "Memorial" has emphasized.

"The HRC 'Memorial' demands to immediately release Benyash, stop politically motivated prosecutions of lawyers and bring to justice those involved in organizing and carrying out the prosecutions," human rights defenders said in the statement.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on October 9, 2018 at 08:20 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

See earlier reports:

Mikhail Benyash arrested for two months, Defence of Mikhail Benyash succeeds in seeking his hospitalization, Advocate Benyash detained for 48 hours in a criminal case.

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

September 18, 2024 23:47

  • ECtHR awards compensation to Ingush activist Zarifa Sautieva

    The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) found that the Russian authorities violated the article on the prohibition of torture and inhuman treatment in relation to Ingush activist Zarifa Sautieva. The activist was awarded 1000 euros in compensation, although Russia does not consider itself obligated to comply with the decisions of the European Court.

September 18, 2024 23:23

  • Court dismisses appeal of activist Melikhova against fine for her verse

    A court dismissed all the arguments of the defence and upheld the decision to fine Marina Melikhova, an activist from Kuban, whose verse the law enforcement bodies recognized as discrediting the Russian Armed Forces. Marina Melikhova, who does not have the money to pay the fine, intends to file an appeal against the court’s decision.

September 18, 2024 22:40

  • Two natives of Northern Caucasus injured in shootout near “Wildberries” office in Moscow

    A shootout took place near an office of the “Wildberries” Company in the centre of Moscow. As a result, at least one person has been killed and several others have been wounded, sources report. Among the victims have been Abubakar Mestoev and Umar Chichaev, mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters from Northern Caucasus, reports Shamil Khadulaev, the chair of the Public Oversight Commission (POC) of Dagestan.

September 18, 2024 21:47

  • In Volgograd, court recognizes absence of HIV therapy in prison hospital

    The Central District Court of Volgograd awarded prisoner Ruslan Mitrofan compensation in the amount of 1000 roubles, recognizing that the administration of a prison hospital in Volgograd violated the prisoner’s right to receive medical care by not providing him with an HIV medicine. Meanwhile, Ruslan Mitrofan requested the compensation in the amount of 100,000 roubles.

September 18, 2024 20:29

TOPICS OF THE DAY

Events

News archive