18:49, 29 April 2023

Ingush activists justify their demand to revise verdicts

Musa Malsagov, Barakh Chemurziev, Malsag Uzhakhov and their advocates have presented their appeal complaints to the court, treating their verdicts as ungrounded and demanding to cancel them with the right to rehabilitation. The judge ordered the defendants to speak in a certain order, thus limiting their right to defence, Magomed Bekov, one of the advocates, has stated.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on April 27, the Ingush activists tried to challenge the appointed advocates. Their defence also demanded to replace the judges, but the court rejected all the petitions.

Seven Ingush protest leaders have been accused of creating an extremist community. On December 15, 2021, the court sentenced Akhmed Barakhoev, Musa Malsagov and Malsag Uzhakhov to nine years each; Ismail Nalgiev, Bagaudin Khautiev and Barakh Chemurziev – to eight years each; and Zarifa Sautieva – to 7.5 years in prison.

The defence had to agree to the order of statements proposed by the judge: first the defendants themselves, and then their advocates, Magomed Bekov said, noting that the advocates will speak in the order defined by the court, although this is a violation.

Ismail Nalgiev, one of the defendants, has noted that the appointed advocates have become the hostages of the situation. He has treated what is happening at trial as "circus" and declared the court's bias.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on April 28, 2023 at 11:49 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Source: СK correspondent