Defence criticizes proofs in Ingush activists' case

The correspondence in social networks and telephone messages presented at the Essentuki City Court have nothing to do with the leaders of the protest action in Magas, while the many hours of announcements of materials at the trial only protract the process, the advocates have stated.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the case of seven Ingush protest leaders, accused of creating an extremist community, is being considered since November 24, 2020, by the Essentuki City Court. Almost all the figurants of the process, including the prosecution witnesses, have testified in favour of the defendants.

On February 16, prior to the court session at the above court, Ismail Nalgiev, one of the defendants, lodged a protest against the prosecutor, but the court rejected it, the advocate, Magomed Abubakarov, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

He has explained that this prosecutor had participated in the trial of the activist Magomed Khamkhoev, and demanded the maximum prison term for him.

At the session, the prosecutor read out correspondence from the chats, taken by the prosecution from the Internet, and telephone messages, the advocate has added. According to his version, these materials had nothing to do with the defendants. "Apparently, by all this [...] (the prosecution side) wants to compensate for the absence of proofs of defendants' guilt," Mr Abubakarov has stated, adding that nothing related to the charges against the protest leaders was presented. "At this court session either, the prosecution failed to present a single proof, which would justify our clients' guilt," he said.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on February 17, 2021 at 02:02 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.