01:52, 24 May 2014

Dagestan: Zarema Bagavutdinova's advocate states his intention to appeal against the verdict

Zarema Bagavutdinova. Screenshot of a video at youtube.com

Ziyautdin Uvaisov, a defender of Zarema Bagavutdinova, an activist of the Dagestani Regional Public Organization (DRPO) "Pravozaschita" ( Advocacy), sentenced to five years in prison for alleged promoting terrorist activities, has announced his intention to appeal against the verdict. Oleg Orlov, a member of the Board of the HRC "Memorial", believes that the real reason for Bagavutdinova's conviction was in her active position in the field of defending human rights.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the verdict to Bagavutdinova was handed down by the court in Buynaksk on May 21. She was found guilty of recruiting, in November 2011, a native of Dagestan Mamma Dalgatov to take part in the armed underground. The state prosecution asked for six years of imprisonment.

The verdict is unfair and politically motivated, said Oleg Orlov. The true reason for the conviction is in Bagavutdinova's conviction is in her professional activities, as well as "her active civil stand in defending human rights."

Mr Orlov has added that unlike the prosecution, the defence managed to prove that initially the pressure, and then the criminal prosecution of Bagavutdinova had to do with her human rights activities.

Source: CK correspondent