Circassian activist and blogger Hasan Matuev has been detained in Istanbul. He faces extradition to Russia, as he is on the federal wanted list. Matuev is included in the list of extremists and terrorists of Rosfinmonitoring.
“Considering his active public activities, if extradited to the Russian Federation, Hasan Matuev will be subject to political repression. The situation requires close attention and immediate response from the Circassian diaspora in Turkey and human rights organizations,” the Circassian Media Telegram channel urges.
According to the League of Free Nations platform, tens of thousands of people from Russian national colonies live in Turkey – Circassians, Tatars, Bashkirs, Ingush, Chechens, and peoples of Dagestan.
“These are people who left against their will. They fled from repression and mobilization into the Russian army. Hasan is one of the few who speaks openly about Moscow's colonial policy. He is the voice of the Caucasus, Central Asia and the Middle East," the statement said.
