Authorities in Russia's Chechnya region say they have dropped charges against a man who was handed over by Belarus, despite warnings that he could be tortured or killed in Chechnya.
Law enforcement officials in Chechnya said on June 15 that charges against Murad Amriyev were dropped the previous day.
Amriyev, a former mixed-martial-arts champion from Chechnya who says he was tortured by police there in 2013, had fled to Belarus on June 7 after evading Chechen police who were trying to take him into custody.
On June 9, Belarusian authorities handed Amriyev over to the Russian authorities, who then transferred him to Chechnya.
Chechen authorities said they wanted to question Amriyev about allegations that he intentionally used a false passport.
Rights defenders have decried his transfer to Chechnya, saying he might face torture or even death there.
The United States on June 9 expressed concerns about Amriyev's "safety and well-being" after Belarus returned him to Russia.
On June 10, Chechen authorities released Amriyev but ordered him not to leave the Chechen capital, Grozny, while investigations into his case were under way.
