HRC "Memorial" recognizes Ingush activist Bagaudin Khatiev as political prisoner

According to the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial", Bagaudin Khautiev, the head of the Council of Ingush Youth Organizations, was called for political reasons an organizer of an extremist community and clashes with law enforcers. The human rights defenders demand to release the activist.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in April 2019, Bagaudin Khautiev, the head of the Council of Ingush Youth Organizations, became the first one of the detained activists who was accused of using violence against law enforcers at a March rally in Magas. In September, investigators called Bagaudin Khautiev an organizer of clashes with law enforcers, and on January 17, he was charged with participation in an extremist community, which, according to the law enforcement bodies, had been created by protest leaders in Ingushetia.

Bagaudin Khautiev was arrested "solely in connection with the non-violent exercise of freedom of peaceful assembly," the press service of the HRC "Memorial" reported.

The human rights defenders examined the materials of the criminal case and the circumstances of the protest events and came to the conclusion that Bagaudin Khautiev did not organize any violence acts against law enforcers at the rally. "On the contrary, judging by video records from the place and statements voiced by eyewitnesses, the protest leaders were urging the audience to disperse and avoid clashes with law enforcers," the HRC "Memorial" reported.

According to the human rights defenders, the charges with the creation of an extremist community brought against eight leaders of the Ingush protest, including Bagaudin Khautiev, are also ungrounded.