Stavropol: Ingush student accused of inciting interethnic enmity

The Oktiabrskiy District Court of Stavropol has started the preliminary hearing of the criminal case initiated against Magomed-Bashir Archakov, born in 1993, a 4-year student of the Institute for Construction, Transports and Engineering, accused of incitement of interethnic hatred and enmity.

According to investigators, on May 15, Archakov, "while in a public place – an administrative room of the Design Department of the Humanities Institute, having a negative attitude to Russians, and willing to humiliate the dignity of all persons of Russian nationality, publicly humiliated the honour and dignity of Associate Professor Victoria Sadanova."

According to the defendant himself, his prosecution is based on libel and slander. His defence asserts that the offended Sadanova did not lodge any civil suits against Archakov.

At the preliminary hearing of the criminal case, held on December 26, the court extended Archakov's custody for additional two months. The defence finds it unjustified. The witnesses' testimonies – the only evidence in the case – are contradictory, Visit Tsoroev, a defence advocate, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

The defence will challenge the custody extension; while the session on the case was scheduled for January 9, 2014.