Defence claims deterioration of Malsag Uzhakhov's health

In SIZO (pre-trial prison), Malsag Uzhakhov, the head of the Ingush Council of Teips (family clans), fails to receive all the medicines needed because of his several serious diseases, advocate has stated.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that three leaders of protests in Ingushetia – Akhmet Barakhoev, Musa Malsagov and Barakh Chemurziev – were arrested within a criminal case about incitement to mass riots and violence against the authorities. Under the case of the attack on policemen, Malsag Uzhakhov, the head of the Ingush Council of Teips, and Ismail Nalgiev, the coordinator of the organization "Choice of Ingushetia", were also arrested. The Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" declared all the five to be political prisoners.

Malsag Uzhakhov tries to keep up, but looks exhausted, his advocate, Djabrail Kuriev, said after visiting his client.

"From the time of my last visit ten days ago, Malsag became more haggard and lost weight. Perhaps his health has worsened by the fact that he has run out of certain medications. My client has a whole bunch of serious diseases," Kuriev told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

According to the advocate, Uzhakhov suffers from hypertension, heart disease and diabetes. Kuriev has repeatedly demanded to soften his client's freedom restriction, claiming his elderly age and state of health. The court admitted that the investigators failed to provide any proofs of Uzhakhov's guilt; however, his detention was extended, said Kuriev.

The lawyer has also told the "Caucasian Knot" that for the period of investigation, all visits of his relatives to Uzhakhov are forbidden.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on August 14, 2019 at 01:10 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.