Defence of Ingush oppositionists remind about real culprits of crisis in republic

The mass protests in Ingushetia were provoked by the actions of the republic's leadership, and the riots that onset during the rally were an attempt to forcefully disperse the demonstrators, Askhab Uzhakhov, an advocate, has noted. None of the victims mentioned Zarifa Sautieva in their testimonies, but the court refers to their words as the proofs of her guilt, Bilan Dzugaev, another advocate, has added.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that since January 13, 2023, in the Stavropol Territory, the court is considering the appeal complaints against the verdicts to seven protest leaders in Magas. The court has failed to prove that there were signs of extremist activities in convicts' actions, their advocates assert. On June 29, Andrei Sabinin, an advocate for Ismail Nalgiev, stressed that investigators have no proofs of the convicts' organizing riots at the rally in Magas, but there were proofs that they has tried to stop the violence.

Askhab Uzhakhov, an advocate for Malsag Uzhakhov, has pointed out two important points regarding the charges of creating an extremist community. "No clear date for setting up that extremist community is established, and this is very important," Askhab has stressed.

In order for Uzhakhov, Barakhoev and Malsagov to create an extremist community, they had to at least know each other, but they did not know, the advocate has emphasized.

Askhab Uzhakhov has added that the court is "all the time trying to disengage" from the fact that sparked protests in October 2018 – the agreement on changing the Ingush-Chechen borders.

"This agreement went against the will of the people and the republic's leadership following the outcomes of the Congress of Ingush People held in 2013," the advocate has stressed, adding that the protesters committed no offenses until the authorities attempted to forcefully disperse the rally.

According to Askhab Uzhakhov, it is not the activists but the officials who had deliberately provoked the crisis in Ingushetia that should be held accountable.

Bilan Dzugaev, the advocate for Zarifa Sautieva, has noted that none of the interrogated victims mentioned her; however, their testimonies were given in the verdict as proofs of her guilt. "It turns out that her only fault is that she was present in the square on March 27, 2019, filmed a video and posted it on the Facebook*. And for this she should be imprisoned for 7.5 years," the advocate has concluded.