Brest Prosecutor’s Office acknowledged illegal expulsion of Salamov

On September 26, the human rights organization Human Constanta received a response from the prosecutor’s office of Brest, which states that the expulsion of the Chechen citizen Imran Salamov was carried out in violation of the statutory period. The document states that the disciplinary proceedings against staff of the local department for citizenship and migration have been launched.

The 40-year-old Imran was detained in Brest in the spring. The citizenship and migration department decided on his detention and subsequent expulsion.

Salamov applied for refugee status in Belarus. He said that in Chechnya he had repeatedly been subjected to torture, so he was forced to leave, fearing for his life. During the consideration of the petition, the deportation was suspended and Imran was kept in custody. Furthermore, he appealed the decision of the Belarusian authorities regarding the forced deportation.

On August 16, the court of Leninski district of Brest rejected Imran’s complaint. Imran appealed this decision of the court in the statutory 10-day period.

On August 23, Belarus refused to grant refugee status to Imran, who had another 15 days to appeal the denial until 7 September. But on September 6, when Salamov’s lawyer came to the detention center to give him the prepared complaint, it turned out that he had been sent to Grozny the day before, on 5 September.

Human rights activists from the Human Constanta immediately complained of the incident at the prosecutor’s office of Brest.

In addition to the recognition of illegal expulsion, Prosecutor’s Office filed a case of disciplinary violation against Inspector Askirka, Pratasievich and Deputy Head of the Internal Affairs Administration of Leninski district of Brest Samasyuk.

According to Salamov’s lawyer, he was taken to Grozny. The only time he met with relatives was 11 September.
Since then, no one knows his whereabouts, attorney is not allowed to visit him. Amnesty International has launched an international campaign in support of Salamov, joined by the Belarusian human rights activists.

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