14:11, 20 August 2021

Verdict to Djumaev sparks criticism in social networks

Said-Mukhammad Djumaev in a courtroom, January 2021. Photo: press service of the Presnya District Court of Moscow

The court has passed a too harsh verdict to Said-Mukhammad Djumaev, a native of Chechnya, by sentencing him to five years in prison for attacking law enforcers at a protest action, social media users believe.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on August 19, the Tverskoi District Court in Moscow found Djumaev guilty of attacking law enforcers and sentenced him to five years in prison. The court has unreasonably punished Djumaev almost at the maximum, Murad Musaev, an advocate, has noted, suggesting that the harsh sentence was passed to intimidate others.

Earlier, Chechen blogger Musa Lomaev and human rights defender Oyub Titiev have explained the wide public outcry around the story with Said-Mukhammad Djumaev by the fact that he became the first Chechen native within many years to take the side of the opposition. By participating in a protest action in Moscow, Said-Mukhammad Djumaev demonstrated the federal authorities that the Ramzan Kadyrov’s ability to control natives of Chechnya was exaggerated, human rights defender Ruslan Kutaev notes.

The data about the verdict to Djumaev was posted on August 19 on the Instagram public page chp_checnya. Some commentators have treated the punishment as excessively harsh. "They couldn't have spoiled the guy's life; it's not fair. 5 years is too much," the user 5147.tai believes. "It's lawlessness! Has he killed anyone, or committed an attempted murder?" the user rab_allaha_prostoy_smertny has expressed a similar opinion.

"When at the rally 'Rosgvardia' (Russian National Guard) fighters beat up an elderly woman and she was hospitalized, everyone got off easily with a bunch of flowers. The fighter were acquitted for beating; where is the freedom of speech? Why was [Djumaev] punished under such an article, when he was defending himself from the police?" the user faridaaa7777 has asked.

On January 23, 2021, during an action in Saint Petersburg, a law enforcer kicked a 54-year-old woman-city resident. She was hospitalized. Subsequently, the law enforcer came to her hospital with flowers.

Other commentators have found the verdict as well-grounded. "A brawl with policemen could have gotten along with a conditional sentence; but his attempt to illegally cross the border, in total, summed up to five years," Dmitry Scherbatyuk has noted.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on August 20, 2021 at 08:17 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Author: The Caucasian Knot