Advocates comment on ECtHR's decision on Barakh Chemurziev's complaint of Ingush activist

The decision of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) on the complaint of Barakh Chemurziev proves that innocent activists were convicted within the "Ingush case"; therefore, the ECtHR will make similar decisions on the statements of the other defendants, Chemurziev's advocates believe.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in November 2019, the defence of Barakh Chemurziev, the chairman of the public movement "Opora Ingushetii", arrested in the case of the rally in Magas, filed a complaint with the ECtHR. In June 2024, the ECtHR obliged Russian authorities to pay Chemurziev EUR 5000 amid the Russia's refusal to enforce ECtHR's decisions.

According to Fatima Urusova, an advocate for Akhmed Barakhoev, the same complaints to the ECtHR had been sent to the ECtHR separately for each figurant the "Ingush case".

"However, it is highly doubtful that the Russian authorities will pay my client EUR 5000 for his violations committed within the case of participation in the March events in Magas in 2019. For activists of the protest movement who were illegally convicted, the main thing is not the amount that the ECtHR obliged Russian authorities to pay, but moral satisfaction," said Magomed Abubakarov, another advocate for Barakh Chemurziev.

Let us recall that at the trial, Chemurziev stated that the charge of involvement an extremist community was not supported by any proof; and the verdict was based on assumptions that contradicted witnesses' testimonies and experts' conclusions.