Elders stand up for Ingush activists

Ingush elders have turned to Russian President Vladimir Putin asking to release the activists accused of organizing riots in Magas in 2019.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the Russian Supreme Court (SC) had prescribed to consider the case of seven protest leaders, who, unlike ordinary rally participants, are accused of creating an extremist community, in the Stavropol Territory. On November 19, the court extended their arrest by six months.

Ingush elders have asked Putin to help to stop the criminal case against Akhmed Barakhoev, Barakh Chemurziev, Musa Malsagov, Malsag Uzhakhov, Zarifa Sautieva, Bagautdin Khautiev and Islam Nalgiev, the "Kommersant" writes.

The authors of the appeal posted on the Facebook call the case figurants "God-fearing Muslims and law-abiding citizens," and their actions had been committed because of "justice, law and order."

"Residents of Ingushetia demanded only respect for the people and observance of their legitimate interests. The criminal prosecution of almost 60 persons was a triumph of injustice. Among the defendants are two 70-year-old elders, Akhmed Barakhoev and Malsag Uzhakhov, as well as a young girl, a culture figure, Zarifa Sautieva," Magomed Mutsolgov, the chairman of the Coordination Council of NGOs of the Republic of Ingushetia, who is a blogger of the "Caucasian Knot", has stated.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on November 30, 2020 at 04:26 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.