The Swedish Migration Service refused to grant political asylum to an employee of the Vayfond human rights association who was subjected to pressure in Chechnya, the Caucasian Knot reported. According to the department, this person can live safely in other regions of Russia.
Kheda Albakova, Vayfond's lawyer, told the Caucasian Knot that the migration department did not believe in the story of the applicant, whose name was not given, despite the fact that Amnesty International, the Swedish organization Civil Rights Defenders, the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, "Memorial," and "Vayfond" itself pointed to its active participation in the work of the organization.
Albakova said: "The applicant was forced by the Kadyrovites in Chechnya to worm his way into the confidence of a relative who had previously left and then eliminate him. He agreed for the sake of appearances, and he and his family immediately left Russia."
In Sweden, where he has lived for more than six years, he has become an activist. "He really spoke of actions against the authorities of Russia and Chechnya. And if he is deported to Russia, he may be subjected to ill-treatment, torture, and possibly killing," Albakova added.
