Diplomats from Germany and the Netherlands attended the court session in the case of Zarema Musaeva

For the first time since 2018, employees of foreign embassies visited Chechnya. Diplomats from the Netherlands and Germany came to the next session of the Shalyna City Court on a new criminal case against Zarema Musaeva. The purpose of their presence is to express their support and concern for the situation with respect to human rights in Chechnya.

Three female witnesses, who were in the same cell with Musaeva, described her from the most positive side. One of them admitted that the conflict that arose between them earlier was not Zarema's fault. One of the doctors called the defendant a nice, kind woman. Earlier, prosecution witnesses from among FSIN employees reported that they did not see how Musaeva used violence against their colleague.

According to the investigation, the seriously ill woman allegedly attacked the escort accompanying her to the hospital, scratched his neck and tore off his shoulder strap. Musaeva denies the accusations against him. Earlier in court, she quoted the words of the allegedly injured Bekbulatov: "Your children write everything, including about me. I will say that you attacked me." The surgeon questioned in court said that the victim had a small scratch on his neck and he did not provide him with any medical assistance.

Zarema Musaeva is the wife of former federal judge Sayda Yangulbayev and the mother of Chechen activists Abubakar, Ibrahim and Baisangur Yangulbayev. In early March 2024, the Pyatigorsk Court of Cassation reduced her sentence on the previous charge, reducing the term of imprisonment from 5 years to 4 years and 9 months. In July 2023, a court in Grozny found the woman guilty of violence against a police officer and fraud and sentenced her to five years in prison. The investigation believes that she scratched the face of a police officer from Chechnya during her delivery from Nizhny Novgorod to Grozny. Human rights activists claim that the woman was kidnapped as a hostage and convicted for her sons' opposition activities.

Последние новости
Shchukin: Over 3 Billion Rubles Paid to Flood Victims in Dagestan
Society
Shchukin: Over 3 Billion Rubles Paid to Flood Victims in Dagestan
16 October 2026

More than 3 billion rubles have been paid out to residents of Dagestan affected by spring floods. Fyodor Shchukin announced this on October 15 while speaking at a session of the republic’s People’s Assembly. On the same day, deputies elected him as the head of the region, following which he took the oath of office and assumed his duties.

Court upholds sentences for four Crimean Tatars in ‘Hizb ut-Tahrir’ case
Human rights
Court upholds sentences for four Crimean Tatars in ‘Hizb ut-Tahrir’ case
16 October 2026

A Russian military appellate court has rejected the appeals of four Crimean Tatars—Nariman Ametov, Ali Mamutov, Vokhid Mustafayev, and Enver Khalilyayev—who were convicted of involvement with the organization ‘Hizb ut-Tahrir.’ The sentences handed down by the Southern District Military Court on May 21, 2026, remain unchanged. According to the TASS news agency, citing court sources, the individuals—part of what is known as the "third Dzhankoy group"—were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 14 to 15 years.

Six more individuals involved in the case concerning the storming of the presidential residence have been released in Georgia
Human rights
Six more individuals involved in the case concerning the storming of the presidential residence have been released in Georgia
16 October 2026

Six people convicted in connection with the events of October 4, 2025, in Tbilisi have been set free following the conclusion of plea agreements with the prosecutor's office. This was reported on October 16 by the television channel TV Pirveli.

UN Summit Participants in Yerevan Seek Ways to Halt Nature’s Destruction
Ecology
UN Summit Participants in Yerevan Seek Ways to Halt Nature’s Destruction
16 October 2026

On October 16, a Leaders’ Summit on Biodiversity is taking place in Yerevan, organized as part of the preparations for the 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17). Participants are discussing how to accelerate the fulfillment of international commitments regarding biodiversity conservation and prompt more decisive action from governments.