HRC "Memorial" reports examining Ingush oppositionists' cases

The Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" continues to examine cases of the activists arrested after the March rallies in Magas. The list of Ingush political prisoners will include the names of other oppositionists, if prosecutors do not have convincing evidence against them.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the HRC "Memorial" recognized as political prisoners five protesters leaders in Magas, including Akhmed Barakhoev, Musa Malsagov, Ismail Nalgiev, Malsag Uzhakhov, and Barakh Chemurziev.

Sergey Davidis, the head of the programme "Support for Political Prisoners", a member of the HRC "Memorial", explained that so far, the HRC "Memorial" has recognized as political prisoners the activists accused of organizing violent acts against public officers, but not accused of using physical violence.

A person can be recognized as a political prisoner, if he or she is deprived of liberty, notes Oleg Orlov, a staff member of the HRC "Memorial".

He has emphasized that people who committed violent acts not caused by self-defence cannot be recognized as political prisoners. According to him, to recognize a person as a political prisoner, the HRC "Memorial" should have lines of charges brought against a person.