Activists consider liquidation of “Council of Elders of Balkar People” illegal

The court’s decision to liquidate the “Council of Elders of the Balkar People” is groundless, since the organization complied with its charter provisions, members of the council emphasize. They intend to file an appeal against the court’s decision.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on March 9, in Nalchik, a court liquidated the “Council of Elders of the Balkar People”, deciding that the organization did not hold congresses in accordance with its charter provisions and did not keep records of its activities. The court also recognized as a call for extremism the statement expressed by Ismail Sabanchiev, the chair of the “Council of Elders of the Balkar People”, in the newspaper “Vestnik Balkarskogo Naroda” (Balkar People’s Bulletin) in February 2022.

Ismail Sabanchiev, the chair of the “Council of Elders of the Balkar People”, assured that the organization did not violate any provision of its charter.

Tamara Gerieva, the editor of the “Vestnik Balkarskogo Naroda”, believes that the persecution of the “Council of Elders of the Balkar People” may be related to new issues of land sales. “The reason for the elimination of the ‘Council of Elders’ is the sale of the ‘Elbrus’ ski resort so that we do not interfere with the seizure of the historical territory of the indigenous Balkar people,” Tamara Gerieva stated.

In recent years, the “Council of Elders of the Balkar People” has not shown any noticeable activity, noted Valery Khatazhukov, the chair of the Kabardino-Balkarian Regional Human Rights Centre.