Soltayev and Delimkhanov's intercession secured a suspended sentence for a Chechen teenager in Tver.

Chechnya's Human Rights Commissioner, Mansur Soltayev, called the suspended sentence for a Chechen schoolboy accused of attacking other teenagers a "great victory." He expressed confidence that he would achieve a similar result for Roman Murdiev, who received a prison sentence in Moscow.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," in April 2025, Chechen Human Rights Commissioner Mansur Soltayev intervened in the case of a 16-year-old native of the republic arrested in Tver, calling the teenager's prosecution ""absolutely unfounded." He noted that he would act as guarantor for the young man's case. Soltayev's role in the teenager's case essentially boils down to political and administrative pressure on the investigation and concern for the interests of a fellow countryman, lawyers and human rights activists indicated.

A Chechen ninth-grader, previously arrested in Tver for hooliganism with the use of a weapon, received a suspended sentence and was released from court, Chechen Human Rights Commissioner Mansur Soltayev announced on October 1.

According to Soltayev, he and his colleagues have evidence proving the boy's "innocence," although the court still found the teenager guilty.

“We were able to prove many important aspects during the investigation, as well as provide compelling evidence of Abdurakhim’s innocence (...). These arguments were accepted by the investigators and the court, which allowed Abdurakhim to be acquitted (...) on many counts. Ultimately, he was given a suspended sentence of only one year and released straight from the courtroom,” Chechnya Segodnya quotes the Chechen ombudsman as saying.

Soltayev noted that he himself was in constant contact “with the competent authorities” in defending the teenager, and State Duma deputy Adam Delimkhanov “repeatedly submitted parliamentary inquiries” regarding the case. He called the outcome of the Tver case “a great victory” and recalled a similar case against a Chechen teenager recently heard in Moscow.

“We are confident that we will be able to prove Muslim Murdiev’s innocence in the near future, that justice will prevail, and the court will definitely hear our position,” the commissioner concluded.

The "Caucasian Knot" reported that on September 29, a Moscow court sentenced ninth-grader Roman (Muslim) Murdiev to one year and 11 months in prison. Fourteen-year-old Murdiev was charged with disturbing public order and using violence (Article 213 of the Russian Criminal Code) after a fight in which the teenager, according to him, stood up for a 12-year-old boy he knew. The defense maintains Murdiev’s innocence, claiming he was defending the boy from another participant in the conflict. The head of the republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, personally commented on the schoolboy's case: in December 2024, during a direct line, he accused the heads of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Investigative Committee, Vladimir Kolokoltsev and Alexander Bastrykin, of professional incompetence. More information about Murdiyev's case can be found in the "Caucasian Knot" report "Roman Murdiyev: The Teenager Kadyrov Stood Up For".

Mansur Soltayev was appointed to the post of Human Rights Commissioner in Chechnya in December 2021. During this time, he has repeatedly denied human rights violations by the Chechen authorities. For example, he stated that Chechen security forces acted within the law when they detained Zarema Musayeva. He also appeared on video with Seda Suleimanova after she was brought to Chechnya, and stated that the girl was not in any danger. In response to the comments of the UN Human Rights Committee, Soltayev stated that the identified human rights problems were artificially created, and that there were no human rights violations in the republic. Soltayev called the beating of journalist Elena Milashina and lawyer Alexander Nemov in Chechnya a provocation aimed at discrediting the republic's authorities.

* Meta (owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp) is banned in Russia.