Activists detained after clashes in Kendelen set free – rights defender

Today, Valery Khatazhukov, the head for the Human Rights Centre (HRC) of Kabardino-Balkaria, has reported that activists detained during the conflict in the village of Kendelen were released after the expiration of their administrative arrests.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on September 18, residents of the Balkar village of Kendelen did not let participants of the procession organized in memory of the 310th anniversary of the Kanjali Battle to pass through the village. The refusal provoked clashes. On September 19, clashes between activists and law enforcers took place in the village of Zayukovo and at a road-and-patrol service (known as DPS) checkpoint in Baksan. According to the activists, 120 detainees were taken to detention facilities in Nalchik, Baksan, and Prokhladny.

"According to the available information, all 120 detained activists have already been set free. This is quite reliable information. No official information has still been reported," the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent has been told today by Valery Khatazhukov.

According to him, 30 people were fined or sentenced to several days of arrest. "They were fined by 500-10,000 roubles or sentenced to 2-5 days of administrative arrests. All of them have already been released. Members of the Human Rights Centre did not visit the detained activists, since there was no need for that," Valery Khatazhukov reported.

The detainees were residents of Kendelen, Baksan, and Nalchik, noted the rights defender.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on September 28, 2018 at 0:34 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.