Defence treats transfer of Magamadov and Isaev from Grozny as justified

In Chechnya, no one is serving terms under terrorist articles; therefore, Salekh Magamadov and Ismail Isaev, convicted of assisting a militant, were transferred to other regions. In Chechnya, the brothers were in danger, an activist of the "SK SOS" Crisis Group has pointed out.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on May 11, the Supreme Court (SC) of Chechnya refused to commute the sentences to Magamadov and his brother Isaev, who were convicted on for helping a militant. On June 7, it became known that the brothers had been transferred from the Grozny SIZO (pre-trial prison).

Miron Rozanov, the press secretary of the "SK SOS" Crisis Group, has explained that Magamadov and Isaev could not serve their prison terms in Chechnya.

"The fact that they are serving their sentences outside of Chechnya is now rather a plus. At the Grozny SIZO, Salekh and Ismail were subjected to violence by the staff. Their distant relatives were pushed to commit honour killings on them. Be that as it may, there are no high security prisons in Chechnya; therefore, the brothers could not stay in Chechnya after sentencing," Mr Rozanov has explained.

According to his story, during their stay at the Grozny SIZO, the brothers' health had deteriorated. "At the same time, they manage to maintain a cheerful mood. The guys often thank the people who write letters to them ... We will continue fighting for justice," he has stressed.

Earlier, it became known that one of the brothers is a gay and the other is a transgender. They moved from Chechnya to Nizhny Novgorod because of the torture they were subjected to after being detained in April 2020.