The Russian Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case against entrepreneur Arega Shchepixin, who was abducted by Chechen security forces. This was announced by the agency's press service in an official statement.
Currently, the investigation is being conducted against the entrepreneur on charges of inciting extremism (part 2 of article 280 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) and inciting ethnic hatred (part 2, clause "a" of article 282). According to investigators, videos distributed by Arega Shchepixin on social networks have been examined, and it has been determined that his statements contain calls for violence against representatives of certain nationalities, discrimination, and inciting content.
According to the official information from the Investigative Committee, formal charges will be announced against the entrepreneur in the near future, and a precautionary measure will be determined.
Prior to this incident, a case had been initiated related to the abduction of the entrepreneur. The Investigative Committee is also conducting an investigation regarding this situation. The investigation is ongoing based on the articles of kidnapping (article 126 of the Criminal Code) and abuse of official authority (article 286). In this criminal case, charges have been brought against six individuals, who are expected to be detained on June 5.
It should be noted that Shchepixin was forcibly taken by a group of individuals on the evening of June 3 at the Yaroslavl train station square in Moscow and placed into a black "Mercedes" vehicle. The vehicle was equipped with special plates and lights indicating its connection to the Chechen government. Chechen officials described this incident not as an "abduction," but rather as a "detention" related to an ongoing investigation against Shchepixin. According to officials, the entrepreneur is known for making statements that insult the feelings of believers and are considered inappropriate.
It has been reported that Shchepixin used inappropriate language towards the Chechen people, the Quran, and the Islamic religion in several videos circulated on social media. For this reason, Chechen security forces took him and subjected him to a special "repentance" process.
According to reports from the "Baza" Telegram channel, Arega Shchepixin was released around midnight on June 4. The source noted that the security forces released him, citing that the entrepreneur had "repented."
Currently, this conflict is causing widespread discussion in Russian society. Some observers are expressing concern that this situation may negatively affect interethnic relations in the country. The further development of the situation and the final decision of the Investigative Committee remain of interest to many.
