To Block Protests, Siloviki Flood into Ingushetia and FSB Takes Over from Republic MVD

Paul Goble

            Staunton, April 3 – Siloviki, including some in armored vehicles, continued to arrive in Ingushetia in a show of force clearly intended to signal that Moscow won’t tolerate any further protests against the Ingush-Chechen border accord or republic head Yunus-Bek Yevkurov (novayagazeta.ru/articles/2019/04/02/80069-smiris-kavkaz, zamanho.com/?p=5872 and

kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/333807/).

                Meanwhile, the FSB took charge of searches for and interrogations of leaders of the opposition movement, a dramatic change from last fall when the republic interior ministry and magistracy remained in charge, especially given that there is no indication that the protest leaders have changed their strategy in any way (kavkazr.com/a/29858434.html).

            Reports about interogations, detentions and punishments flooded the Internet even though it was blocked part of the day (graniru.org/Politics/Russia/Regions/m.275814.html, znak.com/2019-04-03/v_ingushetii_doprosyat_rosgvardeycev_kotorye_otkazalis_razgonyat_miting_v_magase,

znak.com/2019-04-03/v_ingushetii_siloviki_prishli_s_obyskami_k_lideram_protesta, and  capost.media/news/policy/v-domakh-ingushskikh-oppozitsionerov-prokhodyat-obyski-/). 

            Opposition leaders, fearful that Moscow and Yevkurov hope to provoke a reaction that they could then use as justification for the application of massive force warned their followers that this was a real and dangerous possibility in the current environment and urged calm (facebook.com/ingmashr/posts/2380636528642786).

            Meanwhile, Russian experts warned that the Ingush events represent the first time in many years Moscow has had to deal with a serious conflict between the authorities and the population in the North Caucasus and suggested that repression by the authorities would prove counterproductive (rosbalt.ru/russia/2019/04/02/1773311.html).

            Meanwhile, the Human Rights Council of St. Petersburg issued a message of support for the Ingush demonstrators and urged the authorities in that republic and in Moscow to listen to and negotiate with the protesters rather than use force against them (facebook.com/pravsovetspb/posts/763901710794567?__tn__=-R).

            And leaders of the large Ingush emigration in Western Europe announced that they will hold a demonstration in support of the opposition at home in front of the European Parliament on Saturday, April 6 (zamanho.com/?p=5842).