Ingush Teip members explain their decision to boycott all-Russian vote

The open letters to Russian President, Vladimir Putin, on supporting the boycott of the nationwide vote on constitutional amendments were unanimously adopted by the councils of elders of Ingush Teips, members thereof told the "Caucasian Knot".

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that members of Ingush Teips (family clans) sent open letters to the Russian president with their refusal to support the amendments to the Constitution in connection with the "absence of dialogue of the authorities and society and the persecution of citizens for political reasons."

The idea to address Putin got "crystallized" from daily talks with people, said Osman Ozdoev, the board chairman of the Ozdoev Teip.

"The issues raised, in one way or another, during discussions concerned, for the most part, the sore problems that have plagued all Ingushes for decades, including the law on repressed nations, shelved long ago; the alienation of our lands in favour of neighbours; and keeping our activists in custody. And the arrest of our girl, Zarifa Sautieva, is a slap in the face inflicted by federal authorities on our people," Mr Ozdoev has stated.

According to his version, the Kremlin's call to vote for the constitutional amendments that strengthened one person's power has spurred the appeal to Putin.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on March 21, 2020 at 05:41 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.