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).
In the Southern District Military Court, the arrest of political prisoners Alimu Sufyanov and Seyran Hayredinov was extended for three months in the pre-trial detention centre. Aleksandr Sisikov with a disability of the first group of vision was extended his house arrest for the same period.
All arrested persons are accused of involvement in the Islamic political party «Hizb ut-Tahrir», recognized in Russia as terrorist. At the same time, in the territory of Ukraine and most of the countries of the world, the organization operates without restrictions at the level of national legislation.
According to human rights activists, members of the organization are not persecuted for preparing a coup d'état and terrorism, but for public actions of the party’s supporters against political repression in Crimea and criticism of the Russian authorities.