New criminal case opened against jailed mother of Chechen activists

A fresh criminal case has been opened against the jailed mother of three prominent Chechen human rights activists for allegedly attacking a prison guard, Crew Against Torture, a Russian human rights nonprofit, reported on Monday.

Zarema Musaeva, 55, is the wife of former Chechen Supreme Court justice Saidi Yangulbaev, who left Russia in 2022 after receiving threats from Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov, as well as the mother of Abubakar, Ibragim and Baisangur Yangulbaev, all of whom are well-known activists and Kadyrov critics living in exile.

Musaeva was sentenced to five years in prison in July 2023 after being found guilty of fraud and attacking a police officer. The new charges against her for using violence against a prison guard potentially leave her facing an additional five-year prison sentence if convicted.

In late October Musaeva was questioned after being accused of attacking the prison guard who escorted her on her daily hospital visits, according to Crew Against Torture. Musaeva, who suffers from type 2 diabetes and high blood sugar, has denied the allegations against her as well as the idea that she could physically attack a prison guard even if she wanted to.

Indeed, on Monday Crew Against Torture said that Musaeva was “barely able to walk” with a cane, while Musaeva’s lawyers have petitioned the court multiple times to release her due to her deteriorating health.

The European Court of Human Rights ruled in May that Russia had violated Musaeva and her family’s rights under the European Convention on Human Rights, and that her arrest had been ordered as a way to intimidate her and her family.