They want to sentence natives of Chechnya for participating in the death of Pskov paratroopers in the absence of evidence

Arslan Taushev and Rasul Koshmanbetov, previously sentenced to eight years, were again charged after their release - this time with an attack on Pskov paratroopers. The defendants alleged torture and falsification of the case.

According to investigators, both men participated in the second Russian-Chechen war on the side of the field commander Khattab. In 1999, they allegedly attacked soldiers of the sixth parachute company of the 104th regiment of the 76th Pskov Airborne Division as part of a detachment.

Koshmanbetov and Taushev claim that they were not members of any illegal armed groups and did not participate in battles and they are being retried for studying at the “Islamic Institute of the Chechen Republic “Caucasus””. All the prosecution's evidence is based on the testimony of a classified witness.

In 2015, Taushev and Koshmanbetov were found guilty by the Supreme Court of Chechnya of participating in an illegal armed group for studying at the Islamic Institute of the Chechen Republic "Caucasus". Both defendants pleaded not guilty. According to Taushev, during the investigation the “necessary” testimony was extracted by torture. Then they were sentenced to eight years in prison.

Последние новости
Friend of missing Chechen woman detained in Grozny after picket
Human rights
Friend of missing Chechen woman detained in Grozny after picket
23 August 2026

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).

Azerbaijani Ambassador Says Russian Media Hinders Closer Ties Between Baku and Moscow
Politics
Azerbaijani Ambassador Says Russian Media Hinders Closer Ties Between Baku and Moscow
23 August 2026

Azerbaijan intends to continue developing relations with Russia, despite the deteriorating media narrative surrounding Baku in Russian outlets. Rahman Mustafayev, Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to Russia, stated this in an interview with RTVI.

Falling debris from Ukrainian UAVs sparks fires in southern Russia
Politics
Falling debris from Ukrainian UAVs sparks fires in southern Russia
23 August 2026

Wildfires broke out in the Rostov and Krasnodar regions due to falling drone debris. In the Rostov region, the railway overhead power line was also damaged, while in the Kuban region, three people—including two children—were killed in an attack the previous day.

Case over children’s poisoning in Dagestan reaches court
Society
Case over children’s poisoning in Dagestan reaches court
22 August 2026

In Dagestan’s Karabudakhkent District, a criminal case against the head of the private Chudo kindergarten in the village of Paraul, where 10 children suffered carbon monoxide poisoning in February, has been sent to court, the republic’s prosecutor’s office said.
The woman is accused of providing services that failed to meet safety requirements for consumers’ lives and health. The case will be heard by the Karabudakhkent District Court.