12:41, 28 August 2019

Ingush Council of Teips complains about pressure from authorities

The advocates' meeting with the Ingush Council of Teips in the village of Nesterovskoye. Photo by Umar Yovloy for the "Caucasian Knot"

Advocates had to meet relatives of arrested Ingush activists in the street. Participants of the meeting were not allowed into the room where the event was to be held, said the acting chairman of the Board of the Ingush Council of Teips.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Malsag Uzhakhov, the chairman of the Ingush Council of Teips, was arrested in the case on calls for riots and use of violence against a public officer after participating in a March rally in Magas. The Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" recognized Malsag Uzhakhov and four other protest leaders as political prisoners.

In May, the activities of the Ingush Council of Teips were suspended for three months. Murad Daskiev, the interim chairman of the organization, says that the Council does not intend to stop its activities.

Murad Bekov, the acting chairman of the Board of the Ingush Council of Teips, complained that the Council could not find a place for its meetings. "We were kicked out from all venues," he said.

Daud Kodzoev, the spokesman for the Ingush Council of Teips, also pointed out the obstacles posed by the authorities. "People gathered to discuss the problem of prisoners. We found no place to gather, as we were not allowed to use any venue, so we had to gather in a meadow," Daud Kodzoev added.

According to the calculations run by the "Caucasian Knot", at least 96 activists were persecuted after the March protests in Magas.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on August 28, 2019 at 02:51 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.