Congress of Karachay people decides to cancel rally in support of Imam of Kislovodsk

On October 30, the Congress of Karachay people sent a notification to the administration of the Malokarachay District of Karachay-Cherkessia of cancellation of the previously expected rally with 5000 participants against prosecution of Kislovodsk Imam Kurman-Ali Baichorov.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on October 29, 2013, Imam Kislovodsk Kurman-Ali (Kurman) Baichorov was accused of illegal possession of narcotic drugs. Kurman-Ali Baichorov pleads not guilty. On October 22, he declared a hunger strike and claimed the Court violated his right to defence. His supporters associate criminal proceedings against the Imam with his rigid position concerning mosques in Kislovodsk, where the authorities banned their construction.

The decision to cancel the protest action was made in connection with a request of Mikhail Fedotov, the Chairman of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights (HRC). This was stated in the notification addressed by the Congress to Ramazan Bairamukov, the head of the administration of the Malokarachay District of the Karachay-Cherkessian Republic (KChR), a copy of which was received by the "Caucasian Knot".

The notification reports on the meeting of defenders of Imam Kurman-Ali Baichorov with Mikhail Fedotov and the achieved agreements that the HRC will take control over check of the reports on violations of the rights of the religious leader committed during the investigation and the court proceeding and described in the appeal filed by Imam Kurman-Ali Baichorov to the Chairman of the Presidential Council.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.