Ingush protest leaders outraged by prison terms claimed by prosecution

The prison terms demanded by the Prosecutor's Office (PO) for the figurants in the Ingush case are excessive and undermine ordinary people's trust in the authorities, the defendants have stated.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that since November 2020, a court in the Stavropol Territory has been considering the case of the protest leaders in Ingushetia, accused of creating an extremist community. On November 8, the parties' debates began; the prosecution asked the court to sentence the defendants to 7.5-9 years in prison.

On November 10, the defendants in the "Ingush case" told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that the PO had requested unreasonably long prison terms for them.

"If one knows that the whole case was fabricated; and they know it very well themselves, their demand is excessive <...> We, of course, waited for them to announce prison terms for us, because they wouldn't acquit us, as it means to admit their guilt. If we are acquitted today, then, they should be tried, right? And authorities won't admit this – we understand it. But on the other hand, they failed to present a single fact! And they demand nine years in prison – it's a lot," Malsag Uzhakhov told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Barakh Chemurziev has treated the terms, demanded by the PO, as "monstrous." "How can people who have committed no crime feel about this? It's extremely outrageous," he said.

"They can't break us with these terms. Our position – our land and our people – it remains the same as it was <...> It is clear that this is a political order," Akhmed Barakhoev told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on November 11, 2021 at 04:20 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.