Saidi Yangulbaev and his daughter leave Russia

The departure of the former federal judge, Saidi Yangulbaev, and his daughter Aliya from Russia was caused by the threats voiced out by Ramzan Kadyrov, the head of Chechnya, Natalya Kurekina, the press secretary of the "Committee against Torture" (CaT)*, has stated.

Abubakar Yangulbaev has stated that after the abduction of his mother, Zarema Musaeva, about 15 of his relatives living in Grozny have stopped answering calls, while the advocate is not allowed to talk to his mother.

On January 20, the CaT reported that Zarema Yangulbaeva (Musaeva), the wife of the retired federal judge, Saidi Yangulbaev, was taken away in an unconscious state by cars with Chechen license plates. On January 21, the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, confirmed that Yangulbaeva had been brought to Grozny and said that the Yangulbaevs should find their place "in prison or under the ground." Abubakar Yangulbaev, a lawyer for the North-Caucasian branch of the CaT, has called on investigators to check Kadyrov's threats to his family for extremism. In response, Kadyrov accused the Yangulbaev family of organizing an attack on a former Chechen law enforcer in Turkey and calling for terrorism.

Abubakar Yangulbaev has confirmed the departure of his father and sister. He himself left Russia before the New Year, the RBC reports.