This article was reprinted with permission after being published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
A jury in Ufa, the investment of Russia’s Republic of Bashkortostan, has sentenced eight men to up to 14 days in jail for taking part in an extraordinary protest earlier this week to help the former president of the banned Bashqort activity, Fail Alsynov, who has criticized Russia’s full-scale anger against Ukraine.
The Kirov city judge on January 18; sentenced After being found guilty of participating in an “unsanctioned rally that disrupted the disturbance of network activities and obstructed the function of a judge, ” protesters Salavat Idelbayev and Rustam Yuldashev were sentenced to 14 and 13 days in jail, between, on January 15.
A moment prior, the exact court sentenced Ilnar Galin to 13 days in jail, and Denis Skvortsov, Fanzil Akhmetshin, Yulai Aralbayev, Radmir Mukhametshin, and Dmitry Petrov to 10 days in jail each on the exact fees.
Around 5,000 people gathered in front of a court in the area of Baimak on January 15 to protest the sentences and verdict for Alsynov, who was accused of inciting racial hatred. However, the court moved the statement to January 17 so that security forces could get ready for a possible outcome of the contentious test verdict.
After Alsynov was sentenced to four years in captivity, when thousands of supporters gathered in front of the court once more, and conflicts broke out as police used tear gas and surprise bombs to compel the demonstrators to leave the site. At least two demonstrators were hospitalized, and several were injured.
The Investigative Committee stated that those in prison from the January 17 turmoil may face criminal charges for organizing and participating in large problem and using assault against law enforcement.
Individually on January 18, police detained two young men are being detained in Baimak on unnamed fees. The punishments were most probable linked to the rallies to support Alsynov, according to associates of the people.
The head of Bashkortostan, Radiy Khabirov, made his first statement on January 18 about the largest protest rally in Russia since Moscow launched its ongoing invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, saying he “will not tolerate extremism and attempts to shake up the situation, ” and promising to find the “real organizers ” of the rallies.
Alsynov was accused of inciting racial hatred, calling for anti-government rallies, extremist activities, and discrediting Russia’s military forces in Khabirov, who initiated the analysis.
In the end, Alsynov was merely charged with inciting anger, which was borne out of a conversation he delivered at a protest in the Ishmurzino community in which he criticized regional government plans to start mining gold close to the village because it would attract immigrant laborers.
According to investigators, Alsynov’s speech “negatively assessed people in the Caucasus and Central Asia, humiliating their human dignity. Alsynov and his supporters have refuted the accusation as politically motivated.
Bashkortostan’s Supreme Court banned Alsynov’s Bashqort group, which for years promoted Bashkir language, culture, and equal rights for ethnic Bashkirs, in May 2020, declaring it extremist.
After organizing numerous rallies and other events, including those that challenged the policies of local and federal authorities, including Moscow’s decision to forbid indigenous language classes in areas with large populations of indigenous ethnic groups, was banned from Ashqort.
