Ingush activists intend to move their protests to Moscow

Ingush oppositionists are ready to resume their rally, as well as to hold a protest action in Moscow, if the Russia's Constitutional Court (CC) finds the border agreement legal, activists told the "Caucasian Knot".

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on October 30, the Ingush CC declared the law on the border with Chechnya unconstitutional. Yunus-Bek Evkurov, the head of Ingushetia, sent a request to the Russia's CC asking to check the agreement on the Chechen-Ingush border for its compliance with the Constitution of the Russian Federation.

Should the Russia's CC finds the agreement to be legitimate, Ingush activists will restart their protest rally, Ruslan Mutsolgov, the leader of the Ingush branch of the "Yabloko" Party, has announced.

"The illegality of the agreement lies in the fact that it was signed without the opinion of municipality formations. Should the CC fail to study the issue objectively and stick to the pro-governmental position, residents of Ingushetia will have the right to go to a rally," Mr Mutsolgov told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

According to the oppositionist, if the agreement is found lawful, activists will look for ways to appeal against the decision at the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).

Opponents of the border agreement are ready to hold a protest action in Moscow, should the agreement is declared lawful, said Sarazhdin Sultygov, a co-chair of the "Mekhk Khel".

"The Ingush CC found the agreement unconstitutional; its decision cannot be appealed against; and no decision of the Russia's CC will change the situation. We'll never give up our land; we won't cede our territory, but if [the Russia's CC finds the agreement lawful], we'll take active steps – we'll go to Moscow," Mr Sultygov told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on November 10, 2018 at 01:42 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.