Mass Protest in Russia Leads to Criminal Charges for Four Activists
The recent mass protest in the central region of Bashkortostan has resulted in serious criminal charges being brought against four individuals by Russian authorities. The protest, which drew thousands of participants, was in response to the imprisonment of an Indigenous rights activist. According to the OVN-Info monitoring group, the charges, which include the organization of “mass riots” and assault of public officials, carry a potential sentence of 15 years.
The protests were triggered by the sentencing of Fail Alsynov to four years in a penal colony, resulting in a significant show of dissent, a rare occurrence in Russia since the conflict with Ukraine began. Authorities have also initiated numerous lesser administrative cases against demonstrators for participating in unsanctioned rallies.
One of the arrested activists, Dim Davletkildin, was apprehended in the city of Ufa, further intensifying the crackdown on those involved in the protest. Additionally, the same court in Baymak, where Alsynov was sentenced for inciting ethnic hatred, has imprisoned several individuals for eight to 15 days due to their participation in the protest. The response of security forces to the protests and arrests was swift, including the deployment of tear gas when demonstrators threw snowballs at the police.
The charges against Alsynov originated from a speech he made last year opposing the development of a gold mine. The Regional Governor accused him of making racist comments about people from Central Asia and the Caucasus, however, Alsynov asserts that his words were mistranslated from the Bashkir language. The activist has also previously been fined for his criticism of the invasion of Ukraine, asserting that it was not in the interest of Bashkortostan.
The situation has brought attention to the challenges faced by Indigenous peoples in Russia, who have been actively recruited and are often heavily represented in the ranks sent to the front lines in Ukraine. Bashkortostan, with its population of 4.1 million, is an oil-producing area and is home to the Bashkir ethnic minority, recognized as Indigenous to Russia. Indigenous peoples in Russia have long fought for their rights and to protect their traditional territories, often located in areas used for natural resource extraction.
The case serves as a reminder of the risks involved in protesting in Russia, as thousands of individuals have been detained in the past two years for opposing the conflict with Ukraine. Fail Alsynov is also the head of Bashkort, a grassroots movement working to preserve the culture, language, and ethnic identity of the region’s people, which was banned as an “extremist organization” in 2020.
The recent events in Bashkortostan demonstrate that the tensions and challenges faced by Indigenous rights activists in Russia are ongoing. It remains to be seen how the situation will further unfold and what the ramifications will be for those charged in connection to the mass protest. Such incidents emphasize the importance of protecting the fundamental rights of all individuals, including the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.
