Press Release, 26.11.2018

The Shali District Court of Chechnya did not release from custody human rights defender Oyub Titiyev under the personal guarantee of Grigory Yavlinsky, Chairman of the Federal Political Committee of Yabloko.

Photo: Grigory Yavlinsky and Oyub Titiyev. Grozny, 6 March, 2018. Photo: Anna Artemyeva / Novaya Gazeta

We publish the full text of Grigory Yavlinsky’s speech in the court:

“I have known Oyub Titiyev for many years from our interaction in solving very complex issues of human destinies. But even more, I know him through the people he has been working with throughout his entire adult life, for at least the past 20 years, and whom I absolutely trust.

I know that Oyub Titiyev restored the schools destroyed during the war in Chechnya. I know in detail how he evacuated the wounded and sick for treatment. Moreover, I know that when all Chechens and all Caucasians were considered terrorists, it was Oyub Titiyev who helped save many people from torture and beatings in the detention camps and prisons. He could not save them [all]. He could not fully protect them, but he could help, and this help worked, and people from there, from the detention camps, called him when they could, and thanked that they were beaten less and tortured less. He saved many people from death.

I know Oyub Titiyev as a true, proud and honest Chechen. I know him as a believer. I think I will not be mistaken if I say that he has not missed a single prayer, but he has never told anyone about it.

I also know that Oyub Titiyev is a good man, and he is shy. For him, the greatest happiness is to teach children.

I know exaactly that he will not hide or interfere with either the court or the investigation, because the point is to prove that there is justice in what is happening to him now.

He is an athlete and teacher, he is not a drug addict or a drug dealer.

And the last thing. Honorable court, this is a mistake, a big mistake. Titiyev has always worked only for the sake of the people. The Chechen people will be proud of Oyub Titiyev for many years on.

Out of respect for the Chechen people, out of respect for the truth, for the future of Chechnya and Russia, I am asking you to accept my guarantee and change the pre-trial restriction to Oyub Titiyev.”

It was already the second guarantee given by Grigory Yavlinsky for Oyub Titiyev. For the first time, the leader of Yabloko visited the trial over the human rights defender during the presidential election campaign, on 6 March, 2018. Then the court also refused to release Titiyev from custody.

The Yabloko party also twice appealed to President Vladimir Putin to provide state protection for Oyub Titiyev, since his life in Chechnya was under direct threat. “In the situation of complete uncontrollability of the Chechen authorities and Ramzan Kadyrov personally, Russian laws and Russian authorities, the personal responsibility for the life of Oyub Titiyev is born by President of Russia,” the party’s Bureau statement ran.

Grigory Yavlinsky is Chairman of the Federal Political Committee of the YABLOKO Party, Vice-President of Liberal International. Doctor of Economics, Professor of the National Research University “Higher School of Economics”.