Moscow Assembles Prosecutors from 30 Russian Regions to Prepare Cases against Ingush Protesters

Paul Goble

            Staunton, August 30 – In order to fabricate political cases against Ingush protesters, one of their number, Ismail Nalgiyev says, Moscow as brought in investigators and prosecutors from 30 different Russian regions to do the job, something that calls attention to three important aspects of the situation (fortanga.org/2020/08/sfabrikoval-delo-gulyaj-smelo-zapiski-ismaila-nalgieva-iz-sizo/).

            First, the Fortanga portal which was earlier blocked is now up again and able to post reports like this, a sign Moscow and Magas haven’t been able or willing to shutter it permanently given reaction to such moves and the ability of Ingush IT professionals to work around what they do (windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2020/08/moscow-shuts-down-key-source-on-ingush.html).

            Second, Moscow and Magas have had to bring in people from the outside to do this work because the Ingush government doesn’t have enough people it can count on to perform what would normally be a republic task. That suggests sympathy for the protesters is widespread among Ingush officials.

            And third, it is a sign that Moscow has no choice but to deploy in flying-squad manner experts on fabricating charges against protesters. In the capital, there may be a sufficient number of such people in place; but elsewhere, there clearly aren’t. And so as protests spread, the center will likely have to shift such people from one place to another to cope.

            Russian officials are also engaged in other forms of a broader crackdown in Ingushetia. In the last ten days, they have sentenced two bloggers for posts Moscow deems extremist (doshdu.com/zhitelja-ingushetii-prigovorili-k-polutora-godam-kolonii-za-post-v-internete/ and doshdu.com/zhitelnicu-ingushetii-prigovorili-k-realnomu-sroku-za-kommentarij-v-internete/).

And the Russian siloviki have increased the number of special operations against suspected militants. Between August 2019 and July 2020, they conducted four such operations. In the last month alone, they have staged five, the Memorial Human Rights Organization reports (kavkazr.com/a/30807108.html).

This combination of actions strongly suggests that Moscow and Magas are getting ready to stage a mass political show trial against the more than 30 Ingush activists still in detention and want to make sure not only that the trial itself goes smoothly but that there is no upsurge in protest activity in the streets.