Mutsolgov Appeals to New Ingush Head to End Repressions, Release Prisoners

Paul Goble

            Staunton, October 3 – Magomed Mutsolgov, an Ingush oppsition activist and blogger, has released an open letter to Makhmut-Ali Kalimatov, detailing the repressions visited upon the Ingush people over the last year, calling for the release of all prisoners, and urging other Ingush to copy his letter and send it to the republic head. 

            The key passage of the 300-word letter (kavkaz-uzel.eu/blogs/342/posts/39875) is the following:

“More than 300 residents of Ingushetia, including the elderly and women, have been brought to administrative responsibility in the form of arrests, fines and obligatory work. No fewer than 35 have become figures in criminal cases, including those involving the events of Marh 27 in Magas, and 30 of them remain under arrest in isolators of North Ossetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Stavropol, and Ingushetia, including elderly and one girl.

“About two dozen, including women, have been fired from their jobs. Two remain on federal wanted lists and an unknown number have simply left the territory of Ingushetia. Dozens of non-commercial and public organizations, commercial structures and individual entrepreneurs have been subject to pressure and inspections, as a result of which several have ended their activities altogether.

 “Over the last year, the regional authorities have discredited themselves and the federal center more than anyone has ever been able t do. With your appointment, we had the hope that You would do everything to stabilize the situation in the republic and return the trust of the people.

“Today, I appeal to You to take all possible measures to end all the repressions in the republic, to free our sister Zarifa Sautiyeva and our elders Akhmed Barakhoyev and Malsag Uzhakhov and also the other political prisoners.” 

            Mutsolgov’s letter continues the tradition the Ingush opposition has maintained throughout this period of showing respect to the authorities and keeping within the limits of the law in the hopes that the powers that be will respond positively. So far that has not worked, but the opposition continues to hope that it will.