Coordination Council of Ingush NGOs appeals to Vladimir Putin in connection with statements made by Chechen Mufti

The Coordination Council of Ingush NGOs has sent an appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Alexander Bastrykin, Chairman of the Investigating Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF). In their appeal, the activists referred to the statements of Salakh Mezhiev, Mufti of the Chechen Republic, published on the Internet, which he made concerning Ingush religious leaders and their followers.

Today, on July 4, Magomed Mutsolgov, the leader of the human rights organization "Mashr", has published the text of the appeal in his blog on the "Caucasian Knot".

"Salakh Mezhiev, Mufti of the Chechen Republic, has repeatedly voiced sharp insults concerning spiritual leaders Isa Tsechoev and Khamzat Chumakov, well-known and respected by tens of thousands of people in Ingushetia and beyond, as well as their followers. He called them 'dogs', 'cowards', 'extremists', etc. Mezhiev completely groundlessly continues to accuse these theologians and their followers of extremism and involvement in terrorist organizations," states the appeal.

The people who signed the appeal have characterized the statements made by Salakh Mezhiev as "discredit to the authorities and public institutions of the Republic of Ingushetia." Besides, the activists believe that such statements and allegations support "tension in the region and thus negatively affects the relationship of the two brotherly nations and the situation in Northern Caucasus in general."

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