The conflict in Chechnya: the case against the businessman was initiated and the conflict deepened

The Investigative Committee of Russia has opened a criminal case against businessman Arega Shchepikhin, who was abducted by Chechen security forces. The press service of the agency issued an official statement about this.

The businessman is currently being investigated on charges of incitement to extremism (Article 280, Part 2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) and incitement to interethnic hatred (Article 282, Part 2, Subparagraph "a"). According to investigators, Arega Shchepikhin's video recordings posted on social networks were studied and it was found that his words contained incitement to violence, discriminatory and inflammatory statements against representatives of certain nationalities.

According to official information from the Investigative Committee, the businessman will be officially charged in the near future and a precautionary measure will be imposed on him.

Initially, a case was opened in connection with the kidnapping of the businessman. The Investigative Committee is also investigating this case. An investigation is ongoing under articles 126 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation on kidnapping (Article 126) and 286 of the Criminal Code on abuse of official authority (Article 286). Six people have been charged in this criminal case, and they are expected to be arrested on June 5.

It should be recalled that Shchepikhin was forcibly taken away by a group of people in the square of the Yaroslavl railway station in Moscow on the evening of June 3 in a black Mercedes car. The car was equipped with special license plates and lights indicating its connection with the Chechen government. Chechen authorities described the incident not as a "kidnapping" but as a "capture" in connection with the ongoing investigation into Shchepikhin. According to officials, the businessman is known for his offensive and inappropriate statements towards religious people.

It was known that Shchepikhin used offensive language against the Chechen people, the Quran, and Islam in a series of videos that were posted on social media. For this reason, Chechen security forces took him away and put him through a special "repentance" process.

According to the Baza Telegram channel, Arega Shchepikhin was released around midnight on June 4. The source said that the security forces released the businessman on the grounds that he had "repented".

At the moment, this conflict is causing a wide discussion in the Russian public. Some observers are concerned that this situation will have a negative impact on inter-ethnic relations in the country. The further development of the situation and the final decision of the Investigative Committee remain interesting for many.