Court not to cancel fine imposed on Gannushkina for picket in support of Titiev

A Moscow court has upheld its decision to fine Svetlana Gannushkina, the head of the Civil Assistance Committee by 10,000 roubles, after she was detained at an action demanding the release Oyub Titiev, the head of the Grozny office of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial".

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on July 9, 2018, Svetlana Gannushkina, who is also a member of the board of the HRC " Memorial", and Oleg Orlov, the board chairman, were detained in Moscow. They wanted to draw attention to Titiev during the FIFA World Cup, but at that time the presidential ban on public protests was in force.

On March 18, 2019, a court in Chechnya sentenced Oyub Titiev to four years in prison, after finding him guilty of drug possession. The verdict triggered a wave of criticism from the European Union, the PACE (Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe) and human rights organizations around the world. The HRC "Memorial" presented 10 facts testifying that the crime case had been falsified.