A resident of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, allegedly a member of a non-existent organization, is being held in solitary confinement
Rustam Kurmanov, a resident of Kabardino-Balkaria, has been held in solitary confinement in Nalchik's Pretrial Detention Center No. 1 since July 10. His wife, Asiyat Gaboeva, reported this, expressing concern about the deterioration of his physical and mental health.
According to Gaboeva, the reasons for his placement in solitary confinement have not been explained. Kurmanov was accused of participating in an extremist organization (Part 2, Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code) called At-Takfir wal-Hijra.
He previously worked in Moscow, but in 2022 he returned to the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic to care for his elderly parents and took up farming.
A number of extremism experts have questioned the existence of the organization At-Takfir wal-Hijra. In particular, human rights activist Vitaly Ponomarev stated that there is no convincing evidence of its activities either in Russia or abroad.
"There are no hidden audio or video recordings in known criminal cases in Russia that mention this name. Nowhere is it indicated that the organization has membership, a membership procedure, a clear hierarchy, or a leader," the human rights activist noted.
