Russian Court Extends Detention of Ingush Activist Sautiyeva for Three Months, Bans Any Visits by Relatives

Paul Goble

           

            Staunton, March 7 – Zarifa Sautiyeva, who has been in detention since July 2019, faces a minimum of three more months behind bars, and during this period, her relatives will not be allowed to visit her, a Russian court in Stavropol ruled in closed session, the first time a court has done so in the Ingush cases and a clear violation of Russian law, her lawyer says.

            The only Ingush woman detained for participating in the protests, Sautiyeva again denied charges she had organized an extremist group.  Because of her treatment by the authorities, she has been identified by Memorial as a prisoner of conscience (doshdu.com/zarife-sautievoj-prodlili-arest-eshhe-na-tri-mesjaca/ and kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/346792/).

            Meanwhile, a Nalchik court has ordered Akhmed Chakhkiyev, who was arrested yesterday, held behind bars while an investigation of his role in the March 2019 protests takes place. His case brings to 42 the number of Ingush protesters the authorities have pursued criminal charges against (kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/346793/).

            And in a case unrelated to the protests but one that may have an impact on how the authorities proceed, the Ingush interior ministry said it had detained a 16-year-ld who had circulated a video showing him swearing allegiance to ISIS and planning t attack Russian Guards in the republic. It said they had found explosives in his apartment (doshdu.com/v-ingushetii-zaderzhali-17-letnego-podrostka-za-plany-atak-na-rosgvardejcev/).