Armenian Businessman Abducted in Moscow Arrested

The Moscow court has placed blogger and business coach Areg Shchepikhin in detention for two months. This was reported by the press service of the Moscow courts, according to TASS.

He is accused of inciting extremism (Article 280, Part 2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) and inciting hatred based on gender, race, or nationality (Article 282, Part 2, clause 'a' of the Russian Criminal Code).

It is noted that Shchepikhin published videos on his social media, containing ethnic insults, including those directed at residents of Chechnya, for several days.

Additionally, Areg Shchepikhin was abducted on the evening of June 3. He was seized by several individuals in a public area near the Yaroslavsky railway station and forced into the trunk of a black Mercedes with Chechen government license plates.

The Chechen authorities have stated that Shchepikhin was not abducted, but rather detained, as an investigation is underway into allegations of offending the feelings of believers.