The Chechen Ombudsman commented on the sentence of 15-year-old Murdiev

Today, on September 29, in the Savelovsky district court of Moscow, a verdict was handed down in the case of 15-year-old Muslim (Roman) Murdieva. He was sentenced to 1 year and 11 months in prison. Taking into account the fact that Murdiev has been under house arrest for almost 21 months, the term has been reduced to 1 year.

Murdiyev was charged with four counts of crimes and has been under house arrest since December 27, 2023. He is accused of gross violation of public order with the use of violence against citizens by a group of persons by prior agreement. Along with Muslim Murdiev, four other people were accused in the case. The rest of the defendants in the case, according to Murdiyev's lawyer, were given from one and a half years to 3.5 years.

The criminal case in which Muslim was held was initiated on October 18, 2023.

According to Chechnya Today, the accusation was based on the circumstances of a fight in which Muslim stood up for another boy who was inferior in age.

"The fight with a clear advantage in favor of the instigator was filmed on the phone, which served as the basis for initiating a criminal case, but for some reason not in relation to the instigator himself. In the remaining episodes, according to Murdiyev, he was not even nearby, although the prosecution claims that Roman Murdiyev was nearby and was ready to come to the rescue at any moment," the report says.

The Commissioner for Human Rights in the Chechen Republic Mansur Soltaev commented on the sentencing.

"This process has become an ordeal for Muslim. For a long time, the boy and all of us lived with hope for the best. We will definitely file an appeal to a higher court. We are convinced of Murdiyev's innocence and intend to defend his rights to the end. The line of defense, worked out jointly with lawyers, remains firm and consistent. We are steadfastly holding on and will fight for justice by all available legal means. We will look forward with optimism," said Soltaev.

"He's just a real Chechen, and that's the only reason they put him in jail," such a comment and hundreds of similar ones were written by people sympathizing with Muslim Murdiev. A post with information that the teenager received a sentence was published on Instagram❶ in the account of his lawyer. There were more than a thousand Russophobic comments, notes Readovka.

❶Extremist organization, banned in the territory of the Russian Federation