Rights defenders urge to acquit leaders of Ingush protests

The conviction of seven civil society leaders in Ingushetia would cross the hopes for any legal oppositional activities in the country, activists of the "Memorial"* and other human rights organizations have stated.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that since November 2020, a court in the Stavropol Territory has been considering the case against the leaders of Ingush protests, who are accused of creating an extremist community.

The political nature of the charges brought against the leaders of protests in Ingushetia is beyond doubt; there are no even falsified proofs of their guilt, says the joint statement by the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial"*, the Moscow Helsinki Group and the Saint Petersburg Human Rights Council. The statement was joined by activists of the "Sova" Information and Analytical Centre*, the Sakharov Centre*, the Civil Human Rights Project "For Human Rights", the Committee against Torture, the Komi "Memorial" and the "OVD-Info"** edition, as well as individual human rights defenders.

"There is simply not a single proof of their guilt in the case; instead, the prosecution tried to present the defendants' lawful public activities as a crime. This is what makes this trial extremely important and dangerous for the future of the country. Only the acquittal of all the defendants leaves the Russian society with the hope that legal and peaceful public and oppositional political activity will be possible in the country. The conviction will cross such hope. Russia has already passed this way; its repetition will lead to a new catastrophe," the statement says.

*The organization has been put by the Russian Ministry of Justice on the register of non-commercial organizations (NCOs) performing the functions of a foreign agent.

**The edition has been put by the Russian Ministry of Justice on the register of foreign media agents.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on November 26, 2021 at 07:36 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.