An activist who defended a Chechen refugee from deportation to the Russian Federation was arrested in Croatia
Russian Vladislav Arinichev received 15 days of arrest for picketing against the actions of the Croatian migration authorities. He opposed the placement of refugee from Chechnya Akhmed Takanaev in a migration prison.
A Russian activist came to the picket wearing a T-shirt with the inscription “Fuck SOA.” Sigurnosno-obavještajna agencija, or SOA, is a Croatian intelligence agency dedicated to combating terrorism.
As for Akhmed Takanaev, he and his family fled Russia before mobilization in 2022. Croatian authorities declared him a “radical Islamist.” At the end of 2023, he was placed in the closed camp of Jezhevo. If he is deported to the Russian Federation, he may face torture and death.
Last year, five natives of Chechnya, who left Russia because they did not want to participate in the war against Ukraine, were denied refugee status and international protection in Croatia.
Previously, refugees from Chechnya were placed in deportation camps in Croatia. At the end of 2022, about 20 people who fled Russia from mobilization were detained at the airport. During their arrest, their passports were confiscated. After this, the detainees were placed in a cold room with bars. In this regard, representatives of the Chechen diaspora held an action at the Croatian Embassy in Austria. They spoke out against the extradition of refugees who left Russia due to military mobilization.
