The “Team Against Torture” announced the upcoming arrival of Novaya Gazeta journalist Elena Milashina in Grozny to appeal the case of Zarema Musaeva. The meeting of the Supreme Court of Chechnya will take place on September 12. This was reported by the media project “Caucasus. Realities".

The defendant is the mother of Chechen oppositionists, against whom, according to human rights activists, a politically motivated criminal case has been fabricated with the aim of holding her as a hostage. On July 4, a court in Grozny sentenced Musaeva to five and a half years in prison on charges of using violence against a police officer. Due to severe chronic illnesses, a woman cannot serve her sentence in a colony.

Let us remind you that Elena Milashina was supposed to attend the sentencing of Musaeva, but on the way from the airport she and lawyer Alexander Nemov were attacked by unknown masked people. As a result of the brutal beating, the journalist received a traumatic brain injury; she was also diagnosed with up to 14 fractures of the bones of her hands and numerous soft tissue bruises. According to her, the attackers said that this was “the second warning, there will be no third,” and threatened to kill her if she came again.

Let us note that earlier Chechen Ombudsman Mansur Soltaev said that Milashina and Nemov should have warned him about their arrival so that he could ensure their safety, and offered his assistance in the future. However, he soon radically changed his attitude. “I must admit that visits to the Chechen Republic of Elena Milashina are not welcomed by a large part of our society,” the human rights ombudsman said in his Telegram channel, and also reproached Novaya Gazeta for pandering to the West.

In August, Team Against Torture lawyers secured a short meeting with Mansur Soltaev. When asked by an employee of the organization what kind of assistance he is ready to provide during the visit of journalist Elena Milashina to the region, the ombudsman replied: “If I’m at home, then no problem. If I’m not at home, well, I don’t know, sorry.”