Son of Chechen human rights activist detained in Lithuania

On February 27, Utsmi Banzhaev, 17, son of the human rights activist from Chechnya Vakha Banzhaev, who tried, together with his cousin Bislan Abubakarov, 24, to illegally cross the Lithuanian-Russian border, was detained in Lithuania for the term of one month.

Vakha Banzhaev, a refugee who was granted shelter in Austria, is now in Lithuania. He said that he learnt about his son's detention on February 27, and immediately came to Lithuania; however, he could not see the members of his family yet.

"My son ran away to save his life, and now the put him into prison for a month," Mr Banzhaev has emphasized.
On March 4, the prosecutor's office allowed the father to see his son and nephew, but it turned out that the permit was not of the proper form, and, consequently, the meeting failed," as the "Komsomolskaya Pravda" reports.

The detainee's father fears that his son and nephew can be deported to Russia. According to his story, if it is done, he will no longer be able to be engaged in political activities of exposing crimes of Russian special agencies and defence of the rights of his compatriots.

The Internet-portal "runet.lt" reports that during the first Chechen war Vakha Banzhaev was taken prisoner, exposed to torture and executed, however, he managed to survive. Then, his wife was lost. When the second Chechen war burst out, Banzhaev left for Austria.