Russian Activist Found in North Ossetia Jail After Disappearing in Georgia, Raises Concerns of Enforced Disappearance

Russian left-wing nationalist activist Rafail Shepelev, who went missing in Georgia a month ago, has been found in a detention center in southern Russia. Shepelev was placed under "administrative arrest" for petty hooliganism charges, but it is reported that he now faces new charges of terrorism. It remains unclear how he was transported from Georgia to Russia. This incident follows a similar case in Kyrgyzstan, where another activist, Lev Skoryakin, was abducted and found in a Moscow detention center. Russian authorities have been cracking down on domestic critics since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.