Analysts treat apologies of Circassian Elders' Board member for his words about Karachais as voluntary

The apologies by Abu Banov, a member of the Board of Elders of Circassian People, for his words about Karachais were unlikely to be the result of coercion, as it happens in Chechnya, since forced apologies are not practiced in the Karachay-Cherkessian Republic (KChR), analysts have pointed out, suggesting that Banov's apologies were caused by the public's reaction.

Abu Banov has apologized for the audio record, in which he accused Karachais of Wahhabism and collaboration with the Nazis during the Great Patriotic War (WW II). He has explained his statements by an "emotional outburst" after watching a video of the attack on law enforcers committed on April 29 in the village of Mara-Ayagy in the KChR.

Banov is unlikely to have apologized forcedly, Svetlana Gannushkina*, the head of the "Civic Assistance" Committee*, believes. However, she noted that such apologies should be welcomed. "The statement was provocative and offended many. It is bad when such a person admits making such a statement," she has added.

An activist of the "Memorial" Centre for Human Rights Defence** is sure that Banov's statements (about Karachais) are against his status. The activist agrees that in this situation there is no need to draw parallels with Chechnya, where the practice of forced apologies has long been used.

*Included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) into the register of foreign agents.

**As reported on the website of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), the reason for including on March 1, 2024, the unregistered "Memorial" Centre for Human Rights Defence (CHRD) into the roster of foreign agents was the spread of "inaccurate information aimed at creating a negative image of the Russian Federation, as well as the Russian Armed Forces."