About the Chairman

Martin Kochesoko (Kochesokov Martin Khusenovich) is a Circassian socio-political figure, one of the founders of the “Circassian Congress” of Kabardino-Balkaria, the founder and leader of the organisation “Khabze,” one of the key organisers of mass Circassian actions in the homeland, and a prominent figure in the Circassian movement in emigration. He currently lives in Germany and is actively engaged across Europe.

Background and Education

Born on 16 November 1988 in the village of Verkhny Kurkuzhin, Baksan District, Kabardino-Balkarian Republic. He grew up in a family of rural intellectuals: his mother worked in a secondary school and his father at an arts school, where he practised sculpture.

He completed a master’s degree at the Faculty of History of the Kabardino-Balkarian State University, specialising in the history and contemporary development of the North Caucasus and the Circassian people. He also worked with the Kabardino-Balkarian Institute of Humanitarian Studies, focusing on questions of Circassian identity and history.

Joining the Movement and the “Circassian Congress”

In 2006, Kochesoko became one of the founders of the “Circassian Congress” of Kabardino-Balkaria — this marked the beginning of his involvement in the organised Circassian national movement.

In those years, the “Circassian Congress” was building its agenda around three key themes: recognition of the genocide of Circassians committed by the Russian Empire; the unity of the Circassian people and the idea of Circassia; and the right of the diaspora to return.

Through the Congress, Kochesoko took part in organising the mourning actions of 21 May — the day of remembrance for the victims of the Russo-Circassian War — in promoting the Circassian flag as a national symbol, and in international initiatives for the recognition of the genocide, including the campaign that led to the adoption of a corresponding resolution by the Parliament of Georgia in 2011.

The Creation and Development of “Khabze”

The Ideological Wing of the Congress (2009)

As early as 2009, “Khabze” was established as the ideological wing of the “Circassian Congress” in the KBR, and Kochesoko took the helm. From the very outset, “Khabze” set itself the task of reinterpreting Adyghe Khabze — the Circassian code — not merely as a body of traditions, but as the politico-philosophical foundation of a modern Circassian programme built on the principles of dignity, self-governance, responsibility, and horizontal bonds.

Evolution into an Independent Organisation

As the “Circassian Congress” in the KBR came under increasing pressure and was effectively pushed out of public politics — particularly in the context of the Sochi Olympics and the tightening of control over national organisations — “Khabze” began to come to the fore.

By the mid-2010s, “Khabze” had evolved into an independent socio-political movement, and in April 2018 it was officially registered as a public organisation. Martin Kochesoko became its chairman.

Ideology and Goals of “Khabze”

The organisation positions itself as a Circassian socio-political movement grounded in Adyghe Khabze — the “living constitution of the people” and a source of political ethics.

Among its key goals:
— to achieve historical justice, including the recognition of the genocide and the restoration of the historical borders of Circassia as they stood before the Russo-Circassian War;
— to defend the right of every Circassian to repatriation and free access to the historical homeland;
— to consolidate Circassians worldwide on the basis of a common name, language, and Adyghe Khabze;
— to protect linguistic rights and to achieve genuine self-governance within a framework of federalism.

Organisation of Mass Actions and Role in the Homeland

Kochesoko played a key role in organising mass actions in Circassia: the mourning events of 21 May, events for the Day of the Circassian Flag, public assemblies, and actions featuring Circassian symbols in Nalchik and other towns.

In these actions, the cultural and historical — the memory of the Russo-Circassian War and the victims of the expulsion — was interwoven with the political: demands for the recognition of the genocide, the right of return, respect for the subjecthood of the Circassian people, and reforms in the sphere of federalism.

“Khabze” actively engaged with young people: it promoted the campaign for unified self-identification as “Circassian” in censuses and popularised the Circassian language, traditions, and symbols through cultural events, public discussions, and social media.

Kochesoko organised and led roundtables on federalism, the rights of peoples, and language policy. He openly criticised the practice of appointing regional heads instead of holding genuine elections and insisted that cultural policy is inseparable from political freedoms.

Criminal Prosecution in the “Drug Case”

Detention and Fabrication of the Case (2019)

On 7 June 2019, Martin Kochesoko was detained by officers of the police and the Centre for Countering Extremism on a highway as he was returning from a fishing trip. According to the prosecution, more than 260 grams of marijuana were found on him, which served as the basis for charges under Article 228, Part 2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

From the very first days, Kochesoko maintained that the drugs had been planted on him and that his statements had been extracted through threats. In an interview with “Meduza,” he gave a detailed account of how he was beaten, forced to “stage” a search in the presence of attesting witnesses, and threatened with reprisals — both against himself and his family.

According to him, two weeks before his detention a local official had warned him that if he “did not tone down his activism,” drugs would be “planted on him” and “he would never be found” — lending the case an additional political dimension.

Public and Diaspora Response

After his arrest, a massive wave of support arose both in the homeland and in the diaspora. Circassian activists organised actions in Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachay-Cherkessia, Adygea, and other republics of the North Caucasus. Statements and appeals were made across the Circassian diaspora in Turkey, Jordan, and European countries.

Journalists, human rights defenders, politicians, and public figures from various peoples of the North Caucasus and across Russia spoke out in his support. The case was discussed at the national level, and the media dubbed him “the Caucasian Golunov.”

Fellow villagers from Verkhny Kurkuzhin sent an open letter to the head of Kabardino-Balkaria, publicly declaring his innocence and demanding a fair hearing — as reported by regional media outlets and “Caucasian Knot.”

Investigation, Trial, and Verdict

In the pre-trial detention centre, according to Kochesoko, he was conveyed threats from security forces: if he retracted his initial statements, he would face a new charge (organisation of mass disturbances in Kendelen) or be subjected to violence in his cell.

Amid public pressure and a campaign in his defence, the Supreme Court of the KBR transferred him from pre-trial detention to house arrest and subsequently eased the measure to a travel ban.

On 3 March 2021, the court found him guilty of drug possession and sentenced him to three years of imprisonment, suspended, with a probationary period of one year. Kochesoko himself continues to regard the case as entirely fabricated.

The human rights centre “Memorial” and other organisations recognised his persecution as politically motivated, noting that the drug charge had been used as an instrument of pressure in retaliation for his public and political activity.

“Foreign Agent” Designation and Wanted Status

On 25 August 2023, the Russian Ministry of Justice added Martin Kochesoko to the register of “foreign agents,” citing his public statements and ties to organisations and media outlets designated as “foreign agents.”

In 2025, it became known that the Ministry of Internal Affairs had placed him on a wanted list — as documented in materials published by “Caucasian Knot.”

Emigration and International Activity

Against the backdrop of criminal prosecution, pressure on the organisation “Khabze” in the KBR, and his “foreign agent” status, Kochesoko left Russia. He initially lived in Turkey, where he became actively involved in the life of the Circassian diaspora.

Circassian media note that with his arrival, actions by various Turkish Circassian federations and groups — KAFFED, CherkesFED, and others — began to take place jointly rather than separately. In effect, he became a unifying figure for the different wings of the diaspora.

Kochesoko subsequently moved to Europe and now lives in Germany, from where he continues his socio-political work. He regularly travels across European countries, meets with Circassians in the diaspora and other socio-political figures, and participates in conferences and forums, advancing the interests of the Circassian people and the “Circassian question” in international bodies.

Among his international engagements is his participation in a conference at the Parliament of Lithuania devoted to the rights of peoples, postcolonial trauma, and the Circassian question.

Kochesoko works actively to ensure that the Circassian agenda is heard on European platforms — human rights, academic, parliamentary, and diaspora forums — seeking attention to the issues of genocide, the right of return, and the situation of Circassians.

In his public addresses, he emphasises that the “roots” of the people lie in the Caucasus, but that the strength today resides in the diaspora, which must help rebuild Circassia and preserve the language and Adyghe Khabze.

The organisation is currently working on its restructuring and registration within a European jurisdiction, drawing on Circassians who have left the North Caucasus and on the diaspora, while preserving its established ideological foundation: Adyghe Khabze, the unity of Circassians, Circassia, and the right of return.

Ideological Positions and Place in the Movement

Kochesoko advocates the preservation and development of Circassian identity, language, and traditions, genuine federalism, and the expansion of the political subjecthood of Circassians and other peoples of the North Caucasus.

He criticises current Russian national and regional policy as colonial in its treatment of Caucasian peoples and believes that there is “nothing to expect” from the current government — and therefore puts his emphasis on the self-organisation of the people and work through the diaspora and international institutions.

In the history of the Circassian movement, Kochesoko represents a line of continuity: from the International Circassian Association through the “Circassian Congress” to “Khabze” — a modern political programme that grew out of Adyghe Khabze and is directed toward the unity of Circassians and the future of Circassia.