Reports about special operations in Ingushetia give rise to criticism of law enforcers

After a special operation conducted in Ingushetia in July, analysts have noted that nothing but the number of prevented crimes can testify to the effectiveness of the law enforcement bodies' activities. According to the analysts, numerous special operations are a way to put pressure on the society which does not trust the law enforcement bodies.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on August 6, a counterterrorist operation (CTO) took place in Nazran and the village of Sagopshi in the Malgobek District. The CTO became the fourth special operation in the republic since the early 2020. A source reported about two killed militants.

The actions of the law enforcement bodies in Ingushetia demonstrate the extreme weakness of the regional authorities and the lack of crime prevention, believes Magomed Mutsolgov, the head of the Human Rights Centre "MASHR".

"A special operation is an operation to counteract a crime. In most cases, law enforcers fail to indicate against whom it was carried out," Magomed Mutsolgov explained.

According to him, "in Northern Caucasus, the law enforcers' actions are often what is called excessive use of force in international law."

The activity of the law enforcement bodies in Ingushetia may be associated with the fear of an increase in protest sentiments in the region, suggests Akhmed Buzurtanov, the editor-in-chief of the edition "Portal06".

Magomed Shamilov, the head of the Independent Trade Union of Law Enforcement Bodies and Prosecutor's Office of Dagestan, mentioned the protests over the border with Chechnya.

Gennady Gudkov, a former member of the Russian State Duma, believes that the authorities' actions contribute to the strengthening of the political protest. According to the expert, Northern Caucasus is an indicator of what may happen throughout Russia in the nearest future.