Sources close to Waynakh Online have sent a decision from the Swedish Supreme Court about Chechen asylum seeker Zaurbek Gaziyev’s extradition.

In the decision dated November 30, the court points out to a Swedish State Department report on human rights in Russia, which show the difficult situation in the North Caucasus. It is especially true in Chechnya, where a human rights organization has been exposed to political pressure and had to close its office for a time after threats were made to its staff members. Political murders have occurred and human rights organizations have reported on extrajudicial killings, kidnappings and collective punishment in the form of burning down homes belonging to relatives of individuals who have been identified as suspected “terrorists”. According to the court’s decision, the extradition demand for Zaurbek Gaziyev, a victim of the inhumane Russian occupation of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, has a political background and allegations from the Russian side are not acceptable. The court considered that Zaurbek Gaziyev’s extradition would put his life at risk and expose him to persecution, which would target his life and/or freedom; moreover, his extradition would be a clear violation of the European Convention on Human Rights. Thus, the Supreme Court refused the extradition demand from Russia.

With this final decision, Zaurbek Gaziyev is able to live in Sweden because he had been granted refugee status in March 2011.

Recall that earlier we reported the extradition threat facing Zaurbek Gaziyev in Sweden and the letters of public support from the Council of Chechen Refugees in Azerbaijan and the Organization of Social and Public Union of the Caucasian Confederation.

*Text was written by Waynakh Online and edited by Michael Capobianco