More than 115 residents of Kabardino-Balkaria have signed an open letter demanding an investigation into criminal cases involving alleged links to "Imarat Kavkaz" (Caucasus Emirate), a terrorist organization banned in Russia. The authors of the appeal claim that over a hundred such cases may have been fabricated in the republic over the past two years.
The letter, published by the Kabardino-Balkaria Human Rights Center, was highlighted by the media outlet *7x7 — Horizontal Russia*. The appeal is addressed to Vladimir Putin, the heads of federal law enforcement and security agencies, the Supreme Court, federal and regional ombudsmen, the media, civic and human rights organizations, and the regional branch of the Yabloko party.
The authors note that officers from the FSB directorate for Kabardino-Balkaria employ a recurring *modus operandi* in these cases. According to their account, during searches, a phone is planted on the suspect containing a pre-installed version of Telegram and chat logs indicating an intention to join "Imarat Kavkaz." The appeal states that detainees are subsequently tortured to extract confessions and force them to incriminate others. Another basis for the charges, the authors say, is testimony provided by anonymous witnesses.
"More than a hundred people—in separate groups unaware of one another—allegedly swore an oath and joined the same terrorist organization in the exact same way: via text messages sent to unknown recipients," the letter reads.
The authors also point out that the accused are charged with preparing to commit crimes rather than with carrying out actual attacks. "At the same time, all the accused were merely making preparations and contemplating the matter, yet they did not commit a single actual crime," the text emphasizes.
As indicated in the document itself, details regarding specific criminal cases are attached to the letter; however, the attachment itself is missing from the published version. The signatories are demanding the establishment of an independent commission to review all the cases they have compiled.
Individual cases concerning the alleged involvement of Kabardino-Balkaria residents with the "Caucasus Emirate" have also been heard in court this year. In September, the Southern District Military Court sentenced two residents of the republic in absentia on charges of participating in the organization.
In July, the FSB announced the detention of eight residents of the Baksan District. According to the security service, they had sworn allegiance to an international terrorist organization and were preparing to attack law enforcement facilities, seize weapons, and go into hiding to continue operating underground. The FSB statement provided no specific evidence other than footage showing the arsenal found in the detainees' possession.
In the operational footage published by TASS, a "Caucasus Emirate" flag was visible among the seized items.
