Ingush activist Batygov released after court verdict

The court has sentenced the Ingush activist, Maksharip Batygov, to 11 months in prison, but considered this term fully served during his stay at the SIZO (pre-trial prison) and under house arrest. Batygov admitted his guilt in part, his advocate has explained.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on February 4, five participants of the rally in Magas were detained – Isropil Nalgiev, Amirkhan Bekov, Ruslan Barkhanoev, Mukharbek Mamatov and Maksharip Batygov. On September 24, the Supreme Court (SC) of Russia placed Maksharip Batygov, accused of using violence against security officials at a protest in Magas, under house arrest.

Batygov was charged with an aggravating circumstance – the commission of his crime for political reasons, said his advocate, Bairamuk Bakkuev.

Batygov worked in an office in Magas, not far from the square where the rally was held. He was on his way to his workplace, when he saw that "Rosgvardia" (Russian National Guard) fighters were attacking the elders. "Maksharip stood up for the elderly and hit one of the fighters in the thigh. According to the prosecution, he harmed the fighter," Mr Bakkuev has stated.

Batygov was an ordinary participant in the March clashes with "Rosgvardia" in Magas, said Timur Akiev, the head of the Ingush branch of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial".