AI calls on to stop persecuting Ingush activists

The persecution of the eight leaders of the Magas protest, accused of extremism after peaceful rallies, is incompatible with Russia's international human rights obligations and is contrary to the Russian Constitution, human rights defenders have stated. They have urged Russian authorities to release the activists.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that since November 2020, the court has been considering the case against Ingush protest leaders, accused of creating an extremist community. The prosecution has demanded to sentence Akhmed Barakhoev, Musa Malsagov and Malsag Uzhakhov to nine years in prison each; Ismail Nalgiev, Bagaudin Khautiev and Barakh Chemurziev – to eight years in prison each, and Zarifa Sautieva – to 7.5 years of imprisonment. In their turn, their advocates assert that at the rally, the defendants called people to refrain from riots; and there was no extremism in these actions.

The Amnesty International (AI) believes that the prosecution of Ingush leaders "is intended to force them to stop their activities and violates their right to the freedom of expression and peaceful assembly."

Rights defenders have reminded that the legislation of the Russian Federation on combating extremism contains too broad definitions, which is why legitimate public and political activities can be qualified as "extremism." The case of Ingush activists is an example of such a false assessment, human rights defenders are sure.

They also urge to review all the cases related to protests in Ingushetia in 2018 and 2019, since, in their opinion, the sentences passed to activists are unreasonably harsh.