Lawyers point out risks for Circassian activists

Participation in authorized events commemorating Adyghe Remembrance Day, while fully complying with legal requirements, should not entail consequences for Circassian activists who have received warnings from security forces. Moreover, the very issuance of such documents indicates that the activists' actions will be under special scrutiny, and any violation will result in prosecution.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot," a week before Remembrance Day for the Victims of the Caucasian War, celebrated on May 21, security forces began handing out warnings to residents of Kabardino-Balkaria warning them against participating in the march commemorating this date. Human rights activists called on the head of the republic to intervene in the situation, and activists, having received warnings, refused to change their plans for Adyghe Remembrance Day.

An unauthorized event, even one of a mourning nature, can result in persecution.

‎Lawyer Felix Vertegel noted that any mass event must be approved by the administration.

‎‎"If there is no approval, there may be liability for organizing and participating in an unauthorized event. But the warning itself does not carry any consequences; it is simply a notification that if certain actions are taken, there will be liability," he told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

‎‎According to the lawyer, under current conditions, an unauthorized event, even if it is connected to a traditional day of mourning, could result in prosecution.

‎‎"If there is no unauthorized event, then the participants will not be prosecuted. Only when the event itself takes place can charges be brought," Vertegel pointed out.

This is a formalized preventative measure that signals, in this case, that the person is considered a potential violator.

Failure to comply with a warning is not a violation of the law.

‎"This is a formalized preventative measure that signals, in this case, that a person is considered a potential violator. Apparently, these guys were planning the action first, maybe they submitted some applications, and, obviously, they were rejected. "I assume they were told to sit still, you're being watched," lawyer Timofey Shirokov told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

‎According to the lawyer, participation in an unauthorized protest will not go without consequences.

‎"Since the authorities issued a warning, it means they are ready to hold people accountable. It's a different matter if these people participate in an authorized, official event. There are no grounds for punishing them," Shirokov explained.

‎‎He added that the warning itself does not mean that the protest It will be illegal.

‎"They're simply telling a specific person not to participate. But they should state the reasons why they claim they might commit some kind of offense. But the police don't bother with that. The documents there aren't properly formatted, of course. That's wrong. If there are no personal restrictions for this citizen, such as, say, a court sentence, then he has the right to participate," Shirokov said.

‎Lawyer Aydemir Ismailov also noted that only if the order is violated will a person be subject to administrative liability.

A warning about the inadmissibility of participating in an unauthorized action can be appealed to the prosecutor or to the court, says Nalchik lawyer Oleg Sergeev, - another thing is that you may not have time to do this before the action itself due to time constraints.

Lawyer Oleg Sergeev believes that in the event of disagreement with the warning about the inadmissibility of participating in a particular action, there is only There is only one way out. “You can file a complaint against the warning with the prosecutor or the court. If the complaint is upheld, the warning is considered invalid,” he told a “Caucasian Knot” correspondent.

Meanwhile, violating the warning, according to the lawyer, is fraught with administrative liability and, at a minimum, a fine.

Following a public outcry – an appeal from public figures to the head of the republic regarding the warnings issued – the International Circassian Association announced on its Telegram channel that those wishing to participate in the march along the sidewalk.

Participants in the action face criminal charges.

The text of the warning, a copy of which is in the possession of the “Caucasian Knot,” states that it was issued to the activist “in connection with the fact that this citizen intends to participate in march, dedicated to the genocide of the Circassian people on May 21, 2026." (Spelling and punctuation preserved, - note from the "Caucasian Knot").

The warning contains an extensive list of regulatory legal acts and specific articles, the violation of which will entail liability. In particular, it mentions Federal Law No. 54-FZ "On Assemblies, Rallies, Demonstrations, Marches, and Pickets" (regarding the inadmissibility of holding uncoordinated public events) and Article 20.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation (Violation of the established procedure for organizing or holding a meeting, rally, demonstration, march, or picket). In notifying of the risk of criminal prosecution, the prosecutor's office mentions Article 212.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (Repeated violation of the established procedure for organizing or holding a meeting, rally, demonstration, march, or picket), as well as general norms on responsibility for manifestations of extremism.

The document signed by Zalikhanov, an employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation for Kabardino-Balkaria, states... "In the event of actions that create conditions for the commission of crimes, administrative offenses, as well as the continuation of antisocial behavior, he (she) may be held accountable in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation."

"Caucasian Knot" wrote that on May 21, 2025, during a procession with Circassian flags, dedicated to the 161st anniversary of the end of the Caucasian War, in Nalchik, at least eight people were detained. They received from three to ten days of administrative arrest under the article on participation in an unauthorized action and obstructing traffic. The only woman of the eight detained, Marina Kalmykova was released after three days of arrest on May 25. Khusein Gugov, Zuber Euaz, Timur Nakhushev, Kazbek Mamikov, and Bashir Yerokov were released on May 27, and Idar Tsipinov and Beslan Gedgafov were released later. Timur Nakhushev and Zuber Euaz appealed the decisions of the Nalchik City Court.