Social network users condemn arrest of Ingush elder Akhmed Barakhoev

By resorting to repressions, Ingush authorities are depriving people of their right to assembly, Facebook users have commented on the news about the arrest of Akhmed Barakhoev. Some of them believe that the court judgement is contrary to the Ingush custom of honouring the elderly.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on Wednesday, April 3, 2019, a court in Ingushetia arrested Akhmed Barakhoev, one of the organizers of the March 26 rally in Magas and a co-chair of the Ingush Council of Teips (family clans), for 10 days. Keeping Barakhoev at the SIZO (pre-trial prison) could negatively impact his health, lawyer Basir Ozdoev, an advocate, believes.

At the trial, the 65-year-old Akhmed Barakhoev said that law enforcers themselves asked him to stay at the rally in order to prevent disorders.

The decision to arrest the elder outraged many social network users; some of them pointed to a violation of local custom of respect for the elderly. Many commentators send curses to the judge.

"In the biography of this judge, most likely, the 'brightest' event will be the fact that he for the first time in the history of Ingushetia arrested the venerable elder for 10 days!" Aza Tumkhoi wrote in her Facebook.

Let us remind you that two other protest leaders, Musa Malsagov and Barakh Chemurziev, were also arrested for 10 days each. A number of other activists were fined by the court.