10:34, 10 January 2020

Ingush activist, Magomed Ozdoev, denies political motives of his attack on law enforcers

Police officers at the rally in Magas. Photo: REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov

Magomed Ozdoev, a participant in the March rally in Magas, has stated that he had attacked three employees of the "Rosgvardia" (Russian National Guard) not because of his political convictions, but in response to beating him up with a truncheon.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on December 18, 2019, the court extended Ozdoev's arrest until March 11, 2020, despite his defence's statements about his family's plight situation. His relatives complained that they could not pass the medicines to the activist in his SIZO (pre-trial prison).

Magomed Ozdoev was detained on June 21, 2019; and investigators accused him of using violence dangerous to life and health of state servants during the March 27 rally in Magas; but then, his actions were treated as the use of violence that was not life-threatening.

"My client has stated that he had used violence not because someone had instructed him to do so, or because he had shared the feeling of political hostility with the protesters ... Ozdoev has stated that he had used violence against law enforcers because he was hit with a truncheon on the head," Khusein Guliev, his advocate, has stated.

According to the prosecution, Ozdoev experienced "hatred" to republic's authorities under the religious influence of the rally organizers, "who called on the participants to exhibit their manly dignity" and disobey the policemen's demand to disperse.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on January 9, 2020 at 09:19 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Author: Vyacheslav Yaschenko

Source: CK correspondent