Defence points to tougher punishment for Ingush activists

The court of appeal has upheld the prison terms of Ingush activists, but toughened the conditions for additional punishment, the defendants' advocates have pointed out, promising to file a complaint. The decision of the court was expected, the members of the Council of Teips (Family Clans) of Ingushetia have stated.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that since January 13, 2023, the Stavropol Regional Court has been considering the complaints lodged against the verdicts against the seven protest leaders in Magas. The leaders and their advocates pointed out that the first-instance court had ignored many facts that testify to the defendants' innocence. However, the Regional Court has upheld the verdicts announced by the first-instance court.

Magomed Bekov, an advocate for Musa Malsagov, believes that the court of appeal has toughened the punishment. "The verdicts of the first-instance court have stated that after serving their terms in a colony, the defendants won't be able (within 1.5 years) to leave the permanent residences – this is, in fact, Ingushetia. And the court of appeal has clarified that they would not be able to leave the boundaries of their municipal districts. For public figures, who are not used to staying at home, the inability to leave the locality in which they live is very difficult," the advocate has stated.

Osman Ozdoev, a member of the Ingush Council of Teips, has treated the court's decision sharply negatively. "There was so much work and so many advocates' efforts – they've left everything without attention ... There's no justice, no humane attitude and no honour there," he has stated, adding that such decisions "kill any hope that justice is possible in Russia."

Savarbek Uzhakhov, Malsag Uzhakhov's brother, who is also a member of the Council of Teips, has admitted that he had hoped for a commutation of the verdict.