Elena Patyaeva—a friend of Seda Suleymanova, who disappeared three years ago after being forcibly returned from St. Petersburg to Chechnya—was detained in Grozny. On August 23, Patyaeva stood by the monument to journalists who died for freedom of speech, holding a sign that read: "I demand an investigation into the murder of Seda Suleymanova." This was reported by the human rights project "Slovo Zashchite" (Word for the Defense).
A search was conducted in the house of lawyer and deputy chairman of the election commission of the Kurultai of the Crimean Tatar people, Nazim Memetov. About 20 armed security forces burst into his place and seized his mobile phone and laptop. The Crimean Tatar called the actions of Russian law enforcement agencies “an act of intimidation.”
Nazim Memetov found out that the search was carried out on the basis of a decision of the Kyiv District Court of Simferopol as part of a criminal case on illegal arms trafficking. “Fortunately, my minor child did not see this horror, these armed people. I’m afraid there would be irreparable harm to his health,” the lawyer said.
In August 2018, Nazim Memetov was summoned to the Investigative Committee department. He gave explanations regarding the “false denunciation” of a neighbor.