Rights defenders link detention of advocate in Grozny with his work

Sergey Marakov, an advocate, accused of drug storage, was detained in Grozny because of his professional activities, the human rights defenders interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" believe.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that after a 10-day arrest in Grozny for petty hooliganism, Sergey Marakov was charged with drug dealing, his colleagues said. Marakov himself has stated that law enforcers had planted drugs on him.

The next court session on Marakov's case is scheduled for December 25, said Maxim Kravchenko, a lawyer who provides legal support to Marakov.

"Sergey himself says that his persecution has to do with his activities. He said that it is related to his civil cases," said Kravchenko.

Svetlana Gannushkina, the head of the "Civil Assistance" Committee, was not surprised that the Chechen law enforcers found drugs on Sergey Marakov.

"I've heard this story. This is a favourite method of local law enforcers," Ms Gannushkina told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

In her opinion, the reason for his prosecution could be in his professional activities. "The very fact that Sergey rented an apartment in Grozny and provided legal assistance to residents of Chechnya, and accompanied their cases, suggests that the reason for persecuting him is in his professional activities," she has concluded.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on December 25, 2020 at 06:25 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.