Sentence in Ingush Seven Case Simply Copy of Original Prosecution Charges Down to Mistakes in Punctuation, Lawyers Say

Paul Goble

            Staunton, Dec. 30 – Lawyers for the Ingush Seven say that the judges in that case simply repeated word for word and with the same punctuation mistakes the original statement of the prosecution rather than summarizing the evidence that came to light during the long trial. This is very unusual even for Russian courts and itself a recognized basis for appeal.

            Moreover, again unlike most trials, the judges did not even take note of let alone act upon extenuating evidence that might lead to a reduction in sentences even if it found all seven guilty, again something unusual in Russian courts and again a group for appeal, they say (fortanga.org/2021/12/zashhitniki-liderov-protesta-raskritikovali-motivaczionnuyu-chast-prigovora/).

            All this is coming out in statements by the attorneys on the Internet and in conversations with republic media. The lawyers say they will appeal the case but that they cannot do so until the court provides them with a full record of the case. That is supposed to happen soon, but defense lawyers fear the process may drag on, limiting their opportunities to file.

            Meanwhile, Ingush activists are asking permission to hold protests about the sentence less because they expect the authorities to agree than because they are convinced that even the filing of such requests is a way to show how they feel about the sentence (fortanga.org/2021/12/v-moskve-podana-zayavka-na-miting-za-otmenu-prigovora-po-ingushskomu-delu/).

            Aza Korigova, an Ingush who lives in Moscow, is one of the applicants. She says that she  hopes the authorities will approve the meeting but fears they won’t and she is also concerned that many people won’t come out even if they do because of fears that provocateurs will take actions that will allow the police to arrest anyone who does.