18:23, 17 September 2018

Grozny residents describe situation in city on day of failed rally

Cordon around the square in front of a mosque in Grozny. Photo by the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent

On September 16, a rally against the verdict to residents of the Kurchaloi District, to which social network users called, did not take place, the authorities confirm. Security measures were enhanced in the places where rallies could be held, local residents reported.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that authors of an anonymous appeal called on residents of Chechnya to come to a rally in Grozny on September 16.

Calls to come to a rally appeared on September 13. Residents of Chechnya questioned by the "Caucasian Knot" did not rule out that was a provocation initiated by the authorities to identify dissenters.

On September 16, there were no violations of public order in Grozny, the City Mayoralty reported. Any attempt to hold an unsanctioned rally would be suppressed, noted an official from the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA).

It "was quite expected" that people would not come to a rally, said Mokhmad, a member of a Chechen NGO.

"The people are suppressed. Something more significant than a sentence for a group of young people is needed to provoke thousands of people to come to protests," believes Zaindi, a resident of Grozny.

The people detained in the Kurchaloi District in January 2017 were sentenced to 9.5-10.5 years of imprisonment on the charges of terrorism. Family members and friends of the sentenced young men did not make the case public in the hope of soft sentences. On September 13, family members of three sentenced young men said on the air of the "Grozny" TV Channel that they considered the verdicts justified.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on September 17, 2018 at 10:57 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Source: CK correspondent