Support The Moscow Times!

Jailed Chechen Activist Titiyev Given European Human Rights Award

Oyub Titiyev (Musa Sadulayev / AP / TASS)

The Council of Europe (CoE) has awarded jailed Chechen rights advocate Oyub Titiyev this year’s Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize.

Titiyev, who heads the Chechen chapter of the Memorial human rights group, was detained in January on marijuana possession charges that critics dismiss as politically motivated. His trial began in July and is expected to last for several more weeks.

The CoE announced on Monday that it had awarded Titiyev the 2018 Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize, named after the late president of the Czech Republic.

“The prize is a recognition of the work he and Memorial are doing,” the president of the Strasbourg-based Parliamentary Assembly of the CoE, Liliane Maury Pasquier, said in a statement.

“It is also a message to all those who work in this region to affirm the principles of the rule of law and human rights,” she added.

Memorial head Alexander Cherkasov received the prize for Titiyev. The prominent activist’s award includes 60,000 euros, a trophy and a diploma.

“In my homeland of Chechnya, illegal arrests and the fabrication of criminal cases have long been the norm,” Titiyev wrote in a speech read by Cherkasov which was carried by Memorial’s Telegram channel.

A Turkish judge held in detention for alleged links to a 2016 coup attempt was awarded last year’s Vaclav Havel prize.

Reuters contributed reporting to this article.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more