21:56, 2 March 2020

Ingush activist Magomed Ozdoev released from settlement-colony

Released Ingush activist Magomed Ozdoev (left), advocate Khusein Guliev (centre). Photo courtesy of Khusein Guliev

Today, Ingush activist Magomed Ozdoev has been released from a penal colony in Kabardino-Balkaria. He was met by his relatives and fellow villagers.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on January 23, in Zheleznovodsk, the court sentenced Magomed Ozdoev to 16 months of imprisonment in a penal colony. According to the advocate's calculations, since Magomed Ozdoev was taken into custody on June 21, 2019, and a day at a SIZO (pre-trial prison) is to be counted as two days at a penal colony, the activist will be released in late February.

According to the indictment, in the morning on March 27, 2019, Magomed Ozdoev took part in a rally, since he experienced a feeling of "political hostility" against the Ingush authorities under the religious influence of the rally organizers. He was accused of attacking fighters of the National Guard of Russia. Magomed Ozdoev objected that he did not attack the fighters of the National Guard because of his political convictions, but simply responded to beating with a club. The activist also claimed that he did not feel political hostility against the authorities and did not fall beneath the influence of the rally organizers.

Today, Magomed Ozdoev has been released from a settlement-colony in the village of Sovetskoye in the Prokhladnensky District of Kabardino-Balkaria. Relatives, friends, and advocate Khusein Guliev met Magomed Ozdoev in three cars, activist Aza Khalukhaeva told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent by phone.

Till present, the defence has not yet decided concerning filing an appeal against the verdict, Khusein Guliev reports. "As soon as Magomed Ozdoev has enough rest with his family members, we will talk to him and decide whether we should file a cassation appeal against a part of the verdict, which claims the political background of his actions," the advocate stated.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on March 2, 2020 at 04:19 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Author: Vyacheslav Yaschenko

Source: CK correspondent