08:23, 22 December 2021

Rights activists appeal to ECtHR against closure of Ingush Council of Teips

The European Court of Human Rights. Photo: press service of HRC 'Memorial'; https://memohrc.org/

The decision to liquidate the movement "Council of Teips of the Ingush People" was disproportionate to the committed violations and violated the rights of Ingush activists to the freedom of assembly and expression, the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial* has pointed out in the complaint sent to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on March 27, 2020, the Supreme Court (SC) of Ingushetia, following the lawsuit lodged by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), ruled to liquidate the public movement "Council of Teips (Family Clans) of the Ingush People.

The reason for liquidation was claimed as "gross and repeated violations of the law," besides, the Council "had interfered in the work of state bodies of power and their officials," the courts ruled. Later, the Council of Teips eliminated all the violations indicated in the MoJ's lawsuit, but the court ignored them, an advocate has stated.

On December 20, 2021, the HRC "Memorial"* filed a complaint with the ECtHR in defence of the liquidated Council of Teips. Dmitry Gurin, a lawyer and the author of the complaint, believes that Articles 11 (freedom of association) and 10 (freedom of expression) of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (known as ECHR) had been violated in the case.

In the opinion of the lawyer, the liquidation of the "Council of Teips" was a disproportionate response to the alleged violations of the law by the movement, the press service of the HRC has reported.

*The organization has been put by the Russia's MoJ on the register of non-commercial organizations (NCOs) performing the functions of a foreign agent.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on December 21, 2021 at 04:21 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Author: The Caucasian Knot