In Chechnya, the security forces came to the relatives of a native of the republic, Ali Bataev – since September 2022, he has been in the deportation center of Switzerland, awaiting deportation to Russia. Earlier, Bataev applied for international protection, he is convinced that if he is sent back to his homeland, he faces reprisals because of criticism of the Ramzan Kadyrov regime.
The security forces are trying to put pressure through relatives to force Bataev to give up further struggle and agree to deportation, said Zainap Gashayeva, head of the European House of Peace human rights organization. “It is not yet known whether his relatives were taken somewhere, but they were interviewed, the security forces were interested in relations with Bataev,” the human rights activist added.
40-year-old Ali Bataev lived in Ukraine for many years and received a residence permit there, but with the outbreak of a full-scale war, he was forced to emigrate to Europe. In September 2022, the Swiss authorities detained him, since then he has been in a deportation center. In mid-July, he announced a 30-day hunger strike.
