A Chechen who tried to join IS together with student Karaulova turned himself in and became a defendant in a criminal case

A criminal case has been opened against 32-year-old Chechen resident Muslim Akhmaev, who tried to cross the Turkish-Syrian border and join the Islamic State together with student Varvara Karaulova, despite the fact that he told Russian law enforcement agencies about this. As the suspect's lawyer Aindi Betrizov told RIA Novosti, Akhmaev was detained on the Turkish-Syrian border on May 27 along with student Varvara Karaulova and 13 other Russians who were planning to join the Islamic State. He returned home on June 23 with his sister, who flew to Turkey to pick him up after reports of his brother’s detention. The Chechen told his relatives that he was leaving to study. Upon arrival, Akhmaev reported to law enforcement agencies and reported that he realized his mistake before joining the armed formation: he asked to carry out all the necessary interrogation and verification procedures provided for by law. After the interrogation, on June 25, the police took him from his house. Today the court arrested him for two months, although Article 208 of the Criminal Code (participation in an illegal armed group) provides for the release from criminal liability of a person who voluntarily ceased participation in the group and surrendered weapons. “The guy realized the mistake, voluntarily returned home, he was not even in the same territory with ISIS, he does not pose a threat to society, nevertheless, he was detained, a criminal case was opened, a lawyer was not allowed to see him, and his relatives were kept in the dark for 10 days,” - says Betrizov. On May 27, a sophomore at Moscow State University, Karaulova, secretly from her parents, issued a passport and flew to Istanbul on May 27. On June 4, she was detained on the Turkish-Syrian border in the city of Kilis.