On the night of August 12–13, residents of Chechnya will be able to witness the peak of the Perseid meteor shower—one of the year's most famous celestial displays. Viewing conditions are particularly favorable this year: the peak coincides with the new moon, meaning bright moonlight won't interfere with spotting the meteors.
Representatives of the Chechen diaspora in Vienna organized a protest outside the Finnish Embassy. The activists' main demand was to prevent the extradition to Russia of refugees from the North Caucasus, who face the threat of torture and repression in their home countries. Human rights activist Roza Dunaeva provided information on this matter.
Dunaeva emphasized that a significant number of people from the North Caucasus who seek asylum in Finland risk being left without international protection and being deported back to Russia. The protesters called on the Finnish authorities to base their asylum decisions on international law and humanism, and free from political pressure from Moscow.
She also recalled the persistent systemic human rights violations in the North Caucasus republics, including political persecution, arbitrary arrests, torture, and abductions.
Recently, representatives of the Chechen diaspora held a rally in Helsinki dedicated to protecting the rights of migrants and refugees. The protesters asked Finnish authorities to stop fostering negative attitudes toward Chechen and Ingush nationals seeking asylum in the country.