The Committee Against Torture submits an urgent appeal to the ECHR concerning apprehension and deportation of Valentina Chupik, human rights defender

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27 September 2021

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Today, on 27 September, the Committee Against Torture submitted an urgent appeal to the European Court regarding human rights defender Valentina Chupik apprehension and potential deportation from Russia. For many years now, Valentina lives in Moscow and heads non-commercial organization “Tong Jahoni”, which renders free legal assistance to migrants. Valentina’s deportation represents a direct threat to her life: in Uzbekistan, her home country, she is under an impending danger of torture and prosecution by authorities.

Last Saturday, FSB officers apprehended Valentina in Sheremetyevo Airport. She was informed about the withdrawal of a refugee status in the territory of Russia. In addition, she was forbidden the country till 2051. Valentina is a citizen of Uzbekistan. With a great degree of probability, she will be deported to her home country, which threatens her life.

At the present time, Valentina is at the airport detention room. Yesterday, on 26 September, she contacted his assistant and informed that her lawyer was not allowed to visit her, and her status is not specified.

Lawyers with the Committee Against Torture submitted an urgent appeal to the ECHR, in which they stated that Valentina Chupik should be deported from Russia in any case, and that she urgently has to be provided with a lawyer and a possibility to defend her rights.

“For Valentina, the risk to be subjected to brutal treatment or tortures in Uzbekistan is so high, that she should not be deported from Russia. We submitted an appeal to the ECHR with an application under Rule 39 which is applied in exceptional circumstances, — lawyer with the Committee Against Torture Mariya Zadorozhnaya comments. – The European Court examines urgent applications quite promptly, but now every hour counts”. Valentina Chupik moved to Russia after the events in Andizhan in 2005 — mass shooting of the protesters in Uzbekistan. NGO “Tong Jahoni” which she established, provides free legal assistance to the migrants who faced problems in the RF, in particular, related to the pressure exerted by law-enforcement officers. In addition, Valentina informed RBK that she was told directly that she was “too actively talking on system-level corruption in the Ministry of the Interior and that she was submitting too many complaints against illegal apprehensions of migrants”.

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