08:20, 30 June 2018

First hearing of Titiev's case scheduled for July 3

A preliminary hearing of the case of Oyub Titiev, the head of the Grozny office of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial", will be held behind closed doors. Titiev complained about informational isolation at the SIZO (pre-trial prison) – he fails to receive all the letters addressed to him; and they do not allow him to have a wireless or a TV set in his cell.

Since January 11, Oyub Titiev is under arrest on charges of possessing marijuana. He asserts that the drug was planted on him by a law enforcer. On June 26, the Supreme Court of Chechnya dismissed the defence's complaint against refusal to institute a case against law enforcers.

According to Pyotr Zaikin, a Titiev's advocate, his client will participate in the preliminary hearing in a closed session; however, all the other court sessions should be open.

Oyub Titiev has no complain about his health condition, but he has claims to his custody conditions at the SIZO. "For several times, Oyub's relatives tried to pass over a TV set to him, but they were not allowed by the administration," Pyotr Zaikin has stated.

The advocate has added that Titiev does not receive all the support letters that come to his name to the Grozny SIZO.

At a court session in Grozny in late August, Titiev's arrest was extended until July 9.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on June 29, 2018 at 21:46 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Source: CK correspondent