13 July 2024, 21:53
Switzerland repeatedly denies political asylum to Chechen Ali Bataev
The authorities of Switzerland have again refused to grant political asylum to Ali Bataev, a native of Chechnya, Chechen historian and journalist Mairbek Vachagaev* reported in his “Mairbek/Chechen/France” Telegram channel. A Swiss court, contrary to statements voiced by human rights defenders, found that deportation to his homeland was safe for Ali Bataev.
The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on December 20, 2023, it became known that Ali Bataev was released from a deportation centre in Zurich.
Ali Bataev lived for a long time in Ukraine, where he had a residence permit and was married to a citizen of that country. After the start of the Russia’s special military operation (SMO) in Ukraine, Ali Bataev moved to Europe as a refugee. In September 2022, the authorities of Switzerland detained him, considering his stay in the country illegal, and decided to deport him to Russia. Ali Bataev spent about two months on a hunger strike in the deportation centre, declaring that he would face persecution from the Chechen authorities if deported.
“I was denied asylum, and I am again facing deportation to Russia. Russia is still a country where deportation is possible and justified,” Ali Bataev wrote on his page in Facebook*.
In May 2024, Ramzan Miriskaev, a native of Chechnya, who came to his homeland from Austria, was arrested in Grozny. The FSB accused him of illegal trafficking in firearms and ammunition.
Let us remind you that human rights defenders stated that the authorities of European countries are often prejudiced towards refugees from Chechnya, and Ali Bataev will be subjected to persecution and torture in Chechnya, since he left Russia, not wanting to participate in the special military operation (SMO) in Ukraine.
*Included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) into the register of foreign agents.
**On March 21, 2022, the Tverskoi Court of Moscow banned the activities in Russia of the Meta Company, owning the Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, in connection with extremist activities.
This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on July 12, 2024 at 09:00 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.
Source: Caucasian Knot
