Chechen law enforcement officers in Russia had physically attacked human rights defenders and lawyers Sergey Babinets and Oleg Khabibrakhmanov and woman human rights attorney Natalia Dobronravova, while they were providing legal assistance for their clients in Nizhnii Novgorod, on January 20.
During the incident, Chechen officials abducted the human rights defender’s client, Zarema Musaeva, who is the mother of human rights defender Abubakar Yangulbayev. Front Line Defenders (FLD) says that it believes that these attacks and the abduction are related to the human rights defenders’ human rights work.
Both Sergey Babinets and Oleg Khabibrakhmanov are human rights lawyers working with the Russian-based NGO Committee Against Torture” (CAT). Abubkar Yangulbayev is a human rights defender and lawyer, who, until recently, worked with CAT. Natalia Dobronravova is a woman human rights defender and attorney, who collaborates with CAT on a regular basis.
CAT’s lawyers investigate cases of torture in Russia and some other countries, including Belarus. CAT’s work, especially in Russia’s republic of Chechnya, has been recognized by multiple awards, including Front Line Defenders Award in April 2011 and the Martin Ennals Award in 2013.
Human rights defenders from CAT have been subjected to defamation campaigns, physical attacks and judicial persecution because of their peaceful human rights work.
On January 20, the human rights lawyers arrived at a safe house in Nizhnii Novgorod, having been alerted by their clients about Chechen officials trying to break into the apartment. They were accompanied by Natalia Dobronravova, arrived on site and entered the safe house to offer legal support and protection for the clients.
When Natalia Dobronravova exited the apartment premises to talk to the Chechen law enforcement officers about why they were trying to enter the premises outside of their regional jurisdiction, the Chechen law enforcement officers used force to enter the safe house. They hit Natalia Dobronravova in the face, beat up and pushed Sergey Babinets and Oleg Khabibrakhmanov into a spare room and locked them there to prevent them from protecting their clients.
Chechen officials proceeded to abduct Zarema Musaeva, who is the mother of a human rights defender, Abubakar Yangulbayev, a human rights lawyer, who formerly worked with the Committee Against Torture.
In December 2021, representatives of the local Center for Countering Extremism detained and questioned Abubakar Yangulbayev in Pyatigorsk. The authorities forced the human rights defender to unlock his digital devices, threatening to send him to Chechnya.
The subsequent leaking of Abubakar Yangulbayev’s personal emails and messages sparked a defamation campaign against him and his family in the Chechen right-wing media outlets.
Front Line Defenders condemns the law enforcement’s violent attack on human rights defenders Sergey Babinets, Oleg Khabibrakhmanov and Natalia Dobronravova, while they were carrying out their legitimate and peaceful human rights work. Front Line Defenders is gravely concerned with the abduction of Zarema Musaeva, and believes her abduction is a retaliation for her son, Abubakar Yangulbayev’s human rights work.
It urged the authorities to carry out an independent, impartial and transparent investigation into the attack on Natalia Dobronravova and Sergey Babinets and Oleg Khabibrakhmanov.
It also asked to carry out an immediate, thorough and impartial investigation into the abduction of Zarema Musaeva, mother of human rights defender Abubakar Yangulbayev. with a view to ensuring her protection, publishing the results and bringing those responsible to justice in accordance with international standards.
FLD seeks guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders in the Russian Federation can carry out their human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions, in line with the Russian Federation’s international human rights obligations and commitments.
