On January 29, Magas city court released blogger Adam Khamchiyev, accused of weapons possession, under house arrest for a month. The state prosecutor demanded that he be placed in pre-trial detention, but the defense succeeded in obtaining a more lenient preventive measure, lawyer Mark Gat told Fortanga. Colleagues consider the activist’s accusation of weapons possession absurd.
«The prosecutor was against this preventive measure. However, he could not stand the argument (with the defense) and quickly left the courtroom. Now my client has the status of a suspect in a criminal case. I don’t see any procedural violations in the case yet,» he told Fortanga.
Party Chairman Magomed Khazbiyev thanked everyone who came to the courthouse to support Adam. He communicated with the mother of the arrested saying that her son was not detained for anything shameful, but only for the fact that he helps his fellow citizens, is a patriot ready for action and real activity, according to the page of the regional branch of the party in Instagram.
Khazbiyev called the accusation of weapons possession absurd. A blogger who is constantly in conflict with various officials over his materials would not keep unregistered weapons, especially in a city like Magas, where «there are 20-30 [law enforcers] on every square meter.»
Khazbiev said that the blogger had to urgently change his lawyer, since the previous defender refused him without explanation.
Early on January 27 unknown assailants came to the apartment of Adam Khamchiyev, an Ingush blogger and member of the regional political party Civic Initiative, and took him away in an unknown direction, his relative told Fortanga. Later, a representative of the «Civic Initiative» said that Khamchiev was accused of illegal storage of weapons (Part 1, Article 222 of the Criminal Code). Khamchiev refused to testify, his lawyer said. The blogger is known for his publications on pressing social issues.
