In Bashkiria, the elderly defender of Shikhan Kushtau was fined 40 thousand rubles

The Ishimbay City Court twice fined an elderly participant in protests against deforestation on the Kushtau Shikhan, Farit Rakhmatullov, for a total of 40 thousand rubles. This was reported by Idel.Realii.

Both trials took place on October 29. He was found guilty of organizing uncoordinated actions (Part 2 of Article 20.2 of the Administrative Code). Rakhmatullov was charged with organizing two rallies against the head of the district administration, Azamat Abdrakhmanov, which took place in the center of Ishimbay on September 19 and 26. The court took into account that the man had recently suffered a heart attack and stroke and was undergoing outpatient treatment, and imposed minimal fines on him.

The protocols against the activist were drawn up in early October. Then police officers came to his home and tried to take him to court, despite the fact that Rakhmatullov was in a pre-stroke condition. The emergency doctors who arrived recommended that the activist stay at home, and the police still left.

As a result, Rakhmatullov was detained on October 29, during his trip to Ishimbay. “I went to the city to get car insurance. While the documents were being processed, I went out onto the porch to smoke and saw that my car was blocked on both sides by unknown cars. I immediately realized that they had come for my soul. When I got to my car, seven police officers immediately jumped up to me and said that they had to take me to court. I was kept in court for several hours waiting for a hearing to be scheduled. They brought charges against two gatherings at once, on September 19 and 26, calling our events rallies and stating that he was their organizer because he gave the floor to other participants. I stated that, firstly, I was not the organizer, and, secondly, that we did not use any posters or sound amplification devices, did not violate public order, and, according to the definitions of the law, this cannot be called a rally,” said Rakhmatullov in conversation with Idel.Realii.

He noted that he does not intend to appeal the court decision, but to appeal to the prosecutor's office with a complaint about illegal detention. Local activists, having learned about the fines imposed on Rakhmatullov, announced a fundraiser to pay them. The required amount was collected within 24 hours.

• Shikhan Kushtau is a small mountain in the Ishimbay region of Bashkortostan. Local activists have been fighting for several months against deforestation for the development of soda and limestone deposits in the territory of Kushtau. Starting in August, work in the protected natural area resumed .
• Activists advocate for the preservation of natural monuments - the shikhanov of Toratau, Kushtau and Yuraktau. The previously existing shihan of Shakhtau was completely destroyed to obtain raw materials by the Bashkir Soda Company. On August 15, police detained more than 70 defenders of Kushtau, many of them were later arrested under administrative charges. The head of Bashkortostan, Radiy Khabirov, threatened the protesters with criminal charges, but later promised that the Shikhan would be given the status of a specially protected area.
• Many activists and defenders of the Kushtau Shikhan are demanding the resignation of the head of the Ishimbay district administration, Azamat Abdrakhmanov - according to various evidence , it was he who led the destruction of the activists’ tent camp and the arrests on August 15.
• On September 2, the government of Bashkiria declared Shikhan Kushtau a natural monument of republican significance.