Case against Rashid Maisigov closed

A court in Magas, the capital of Ingushetia, has released Rashid Maisigov, an Ingush activist, from criminal liability in connection with the decriminalization of the article on public appeals against the territorial integrity of Russia.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on September 16, 2020, the Magas District Court found the journalist, Rashid Maisigov, guilty of drug possession and sentenced him to three years in a general security colony. Maisigov refused to plead guilty and asked the court to acquit him. The Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" declared Maisigov a political prisoner. On January 23, 2021, the second criminal case was initiated against Maisigov – under the article on public calls for separatism.

On January 19, the Magas District Court granted the motion of the advocate, Magomed Aushev, to stop the criminal prosecution of Rashid Maisigov under Article 280.1 of the Russian Criminal Code. The advocate pointed out that this article had been decriminalized by the State Duma back in November 2020. Now, the criminal liability for appeals against the country's territorial integrity comes only in case of a repeated violation.

The state prosecutor stated that the amendment concerns only the first part of Article 280.1, but the advocate managed to prove that it concern the article as a whole.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on January 19, 2021 at 08:25 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.