Ingush lawyer describes specific features of mobilization in Northern Caucasus

The religious factor has become a distinctive feature of mobilization in Northern Caucasus. In fact, the participation of religious figures in recruiting and the practice of putting pressure on relatives excluded the option of alternative service for residents of Chechnya, while in Ingushetia, it is possible against the background of a different position of religious leaders on the special military operation, the lawyer says.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on November 15, Ramzan Kadyrov called on Chechen Sufis to form their military units on the principle of belonging to religious brotherhoods. On March 29, the leader of Chechnya also called on law enforcers to be ready to “die on the path of jihad.”

In Chechnya, religious leaders are actively promoting the idea, according to which participation in the special military operation in Ukraine is a matter pleasing Allah, which makes it almost impossible for residents of the region to obtain alternative civilian service for religious reasons, says lawyer Musa T., who works in cooperation with the Human Rights Protection Centre “Memorial”.

“The specific feature of Chechnya is that the republic’s religious figures insist: to go to Ukraine is the sacred duty of every Muslim ... This can be explained by the fact that the religious figures in Chechnya are one hundred percent dependent on the local authorities,” the expert explained as quoted by the Telegram channel of the Human Rights Protection Centre “Memorial”.

At the same time, according to the lawyer, in Ingushetia, people are quite ready to write applications for alternative civilian service and do that.

The lawyer explains that in Northern Caucasus, the mobilization differs from other regions of Russia by the active involvement of the local religious figures in calls to participate in the special military operation.

According to the lawyer, he has several applicants who are even ready to go to prison, just not to go to Ukraine to participate in the special military operation, since they cannot do that due to their religious beliefs.

Some men leave for other regions of Russia and change their registration in order not to be mobilized.