17 March 2021, 19:57
"Caucasian Knot" correspondent detained at a solo picket in support of Ingush activists
In Yessentuki, the police detained Alyona Sadovskaya, a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent, who was holding a solo picket in front of the city court building. The journalist protested against the detention of Ingush activists in a SIZO (pre-trial prison).
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on March 10, Zarifa Sautieva was transferred from the SIZO to house arrest, and on March 16, the Stavropol Territorial Court considered a prosecutor's appeal and ordered to return the activist to custody. After that, the leaders of the Ingush protest, accused in the case on the rally in Magas, went on a hunger strike and refused to take further part in the trial.
Starting from November 24, 2020, the court has been considering the case against Zarifa Sautieva and six other leaders of the protest in Ingushetia. The Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial"* recognized all seven defendants in the Ingush case as political prisoners. Almost all questioned participants of the trial evidenced in favour of the defendants.
Today, a solo picket has been held in front of the Yessentuki City Court. At 12:25 a.m. Moscow time, journalist Alyona Sadovskaya came out to the courthouse. In her hand, she was holding the posters reading: "No political violence! Let the not-guilty go!" and "Stop torturing people with illegal custody!"
During a phone conversation, Alyona Sadovskaya has informed the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that she expresses her indignation at the "unfair decision of the Stavropol Territorial Court." On March 16, the Court granted the appeal of the Prosecutor's Office and cancelled the decision of the Pyatigorsk City Court pronounced on March 10 to replace the pre-trial restriction measure for Ingush activist Zarifa Sautieva from the detention in the SIZO with house arrest ... The woman was kept at the SIZO for about two years.
At 1:40 p.m., the activist was detained and brought to the Yessentuki City Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA).
* the HRC "Memorial" is recognized in the Russian Federation as a foreign agent.
This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on March 17, 2021 at 02:07 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.
Author: Vyacheslav Yaschenko Source: CK correspondent