Rally of Ingush oppositionists' supporters stopped under threat of new arrests

All the seven leaders of Ingush protests, including Malsag Uzhakhov, continue their hunger strike at the SIZO (pre-trial prison). Residents of Ingushetia are holding no public actions in support of the detainees, fearing to provoke new arrests in connection with the rally in Magas, the rights defenders interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" believe.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on March 10, the activist, Zarifa Sautieva, was transferred from the SIZO under house arrest; and on March 16, the Stavropol Territorial Court ruled to return her to custody. After that, the leaders of Ingush protests, accused within the case of the rally in Magas, went on a hunger strike and refused to take further part in the trial.

All the seven defendants, including Malsag Uzhakhov, are on a protest hunger strike at Pyatigorsk SIZO. Earlier, Magomed Abubakarov, an advocate, stated that Uzhakhov was not among the hunger-strikers, but this information was a mistake, his advocate, Djabayil Kuriev, told the "Caucasian Knot" today.

All the participants in the Ingush rallies are closely following the trial of the protest leaders, although the actions in their support earlier held in Ingushetia, Moscow and Saint Petersburg, have come to naught – people fear new repressions, said Timur Akiev, the head of the Ingush regional branch of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial"*.

"Repressions continue - the case hangs like the Damocles' sword over everyone who participated in rallies. There are fears that any going out into the street may be followed by a new arrest," he told the "Caucasian Knot".

* the HRC "Memorial" is recognized in the Russian Federation as a foreign agent

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on March 19, 2021 at 09:28 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.