Five Ingush protest leaders have their arrest extended again

The Stavropol Regional Court extended the arrest of five Ingush protest leaders until June 25, 2020. This was reported by the Human Rights Center "Memorial".

Musa Malsagov, Barakh Chemurziev, Ismail Nalgiev, Akhmed Barakhoev and Malsag Uzhakhov have their detention extended.

According to the prosecution, once released, activists will be able to put pressure on witnesses and victims, coordinate actions with other defendants in the case, or hide from justice.

Memorial quotes Timur Akiyev, head of its division in Nazran:

“In April, the period of legal detention for all five will expire - 12 months from the date of detention. The investigator has the right to extend this period only if he has not completed familiarization of the accused with the case materials. The investigation did not even begin to acquaint the five leaders with the materials. Moreover, the acquaintance of the defendants with the protocols on the completion of investigative actions has not been completed. That is, the investigation did not meet the deadline and is now trying to keep a good face on a bad game.

In the wake of the rally in March 2019 in Magas, criminal cases were opened against the leaders of the Ingush protest under the article on organizing dangerous violence against government officials (part 2 of article 318 of the Criminal Code through part 3 of article 33 of the Criminal Code). In December 2019, it became known that article a new case was opened against Barakhoev, Malsagov, Uzhakhov under the article on organizing an extremist community (part 1 of article 281.1 of the Criminal Code), and against Chemurziev and Nalgiev - under the article on participation in it (part 2 of 281.1 of the Criminal Code). Uzhakhov is also charged with leading a non-profit organization that encourages citizens to commit illegal acts (Part 2 of Article 239 of the Criminal Code).

According to the prosecution , Barakhoev, Malsagov and Uzhakhov, united by political enmity towards the head of Ingushetia, Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, created an extremist community with the aim of removing him from his post. Subsequently, other participants joined this community and in October 2018 they created the IKNE (Ingush Committee of National Unity) "to give the appearance of legitimacy and for the further development of the extremist community."

• In September 2018, the authorities of Ingushetia and Chechnya signed an agreement to change the border between the republics, after which protests began in Ingushetia. On March 26, 2019, about 10 thousand people came to the rally in Magas. About two thousand protesters remained on the square all night. In the morning they began to be dispersed, as a result of which clashes broke out between the security forces and the protesters .
• According to the Human Rights Center Memorial, 41 people were brought to justice in the case of the Ingush protests in March 2019 in Magas. Twenty-two of them were convicted under the article on the use of non-life-threatening violence against a police officer (part 1 of article 318 of the Criminal Code).