Several members of the Chechen diaspora in Switzerland on August 9 held a protest outside a deportation center in Zurich calling on the Swiss authorities not to deport to Russia a Chechen refugee who has been on hunger strike for almost two months. Ali Batayev, 40, is a critic of Moscow-backed Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov's regime, which has been long accused of serious human rights violations. Batayev risks deportation after he was arrested in September upon arrival in Switzerland from Ukraine, which he left after the start of Russia's unprovoked invasion. Batayev, who is being held in the deportation center in Zurich, was hospitalized on August 6 for emergency medical assistance. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Caucasus Realities, click here.
Chechen Diaspora Rallies In Zurich To Prevent Deportation Of Hunger-Striking Kadyrov Critic
Members of the diaspora rally in front of the deportation center in Zurich on August 9.