Law enforcement agencies of the Russian Federation opened a criminal case against Circassian activist Martin Kochesokov for failure to fulfill the duties of a “foreign agent.” We are talking about the lack of appropriate markings in his publications on social networks, the activist himself said on his Instagram.

The Russian Ministry of Justice included Martin Kochesokov in the list of “foreign agents” in August 2023. He lives in Turkey. According to the department, Kochesokov “took part in the dissemination of messages and materials of foreign agents, made calls for action, the results of which could lead to a violation of the territorial integrity of the Russian Federation.”

In 2021, Martin Kochesokov received three years probation for drug possession. He was detained on June 7, 2019 in the KBR on the Caucasus highway; marijuana was allegedly found in his car. The activist himself insisted on his innocence - according to him, the drugs were planted on him by security forces. He spent several months in a pre-trial detention center and under house arrest.

Human rights activists argue that the persecution of Kochesokov was related to his public position, calls for studying the national languages ​​of the peoples living in the Russian Federation, as well as the need for popular elections of regional heads, and not their appointment from Moscow.