Ingush Elders Link Courts’ New Leniency to Yevkurov’s Departure

Paul Goble

            Staunton, July 3 – The dismissal of charges against one Ingush opposition leader and the reduction of the length of detention of another reflects the new political winds blowing in that North Caucasus republic since the exit of Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, leaders of prominent Ingush families say (kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/337420/, kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/337415/, kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/337416/ and fortanga.org/2019/07/v-sude-sokratili-arest-barahoeva-i-opravdali-uzhahova-po-odnomu-iz-del/).

            At the same time, many in Ingushetia are upset that the Memorial human rights organization identified only five of the more than three dozen Ingush now in detention as political prisoners. The Ingush believe all of them are, and Memorial has responded that it continues to study their cases (kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/337394/).

            Moreover, many Ingush appear encouraged by still unconfirmed reports that Yevkurov’s replacement, Makhmud-Ali Kalimatov, has replace seven of the nine advisors the former had put in place. While details are sketchy, this news if true suggests that Kalimatov does plan to make major personnel changes despite his earlier statements (kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/337435/).

            Meanwhile, in a commentary for the Moscow Carnegie Center, Konstantin Kazenin says Kalimatov’s appointment suggests, first, that the Kremlin is retreating from its earlier approach in the North Caucasus and will be less likely to impose outsiders like Vladimir Vasiliyev in Daghestan, a shift that local people will like (carnegie.ru/commentary/79409).

            Second, the Moscow analyst continues, Kalimatov’s appointment puts in place someone with close ties to the siloviki who oppose any further expansion in Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov’s influence beyond the borders of Chechnya. Consequently, he can be counted on to resist the Chechen leader’s efforts to lord it over Ingushetia.

            And third, while Kalimatov is an Ingush, he was not in the republic during the protests of the last year and thus is not linked to either side. As a result, Kazenin suggests, he may be in a better position to mediate between the existing regime and the opposition than many had expected any Moscow-selected republic head to be.