Witnesses describe activities of rights defender Oyub Titiev in Chechnya

Oyub Titiev, the head of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" office in Grozny, was involved in rendering assistance to the people suffering from deceases, and he helped to restore schools in the mountainous regions and coordinated a project to help prisoners from Chechnya and Ingushetia, the defence witnesses reported.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on October 15, the court questioned Oleg Orlov, the head of the "Hot Spots" programme created by the HRC "Memorial", and Sirazhutdin Datsiev, the head of the Dagestani branch of the HRC "Memorial". The witnesses reported to the court that an advocate and colleagues of Oyub Titiev were subjected to pressure. Oleg Orlov associated the prosecution of Oyub Titiev with his investigation into the case of 27 executed residents of Chechnya and the hostile attitude of the republic's authorities towards the HRC "Memorial". Oyub Titiev himself stated the verdict of guilty was predetermined.

Elena Burtina, a coordinator of the "Civic Assistance" Committee, noted the Oyub Titiev's participation in the creation of a project to help prisoners from Chechnya and Ingushetia serving their sentences in prisons outside the regions. The coordinator called Oyub Titiev an exceptionally reliable person.

Besides, according to Elena Burtina, because of threats, Oyub Titiev was even forced to take his family members out of Chechnya.

Lyudmila Gendel, who worked for the "Civic Assistance" Committee, spoke about the project to restore the destroyed schools of Chechnya, in which Oyub Titiev actively participated.