Address by the Chairman of the Ingush Yabloko, 25.03.2020

Address by the Chairman of the Ingush Yabloko

To: Yury Chaika,

Authorised Representative of the President of the Russian Federation

in the North-West Federal District

and

Makhmud-Ali Kalimatov,

head of the Republic of Ingushetia

An extremely alarming situation has developed in the world at present, due to the danger of the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) at a tremendous speed and on a huge scale. Only according to official data, hundreds of thousands of cases have been registered all over the world, thousands of people died from this disease and an extremely low number of people recovered from it. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recognized the situation with the spread of this coronovirus infection as a pandemic.

In order to prevent the rapid spread of this virus, different services and government agencies are placed on alert to withstand this, quarantine is introduced in educational institutions, private and state-funded organisations and institutions. A huge number of employers transferred workers to distance work, which is fully consistent with WHO recommendations. The authorities are taking various measures to reduce the risks of importation and spread of the new coronavirus infection in the North Caucasus region. Unfortunately, the first cases of infection have already been recorded in the Stavropol Territory and Kabardino-Balkaria.

Each resident of our country is potentially at risk and, unfortunately, the entire health care system in the North Caucasus will not be able to cope with the virus if it spreads widely. And the current situation in the region is most likely to lead to the development of the most negative scenario, at least it has no prerequisites for its prevention. Studying the situation, we have the opportunity to prevent mistakes made in other countries. Giving an objective assessment of the healthcare system in the North-Caucasian Federal District (referring to the “civil medicine”), we can confidently say that it will not cope with the scale of a possible tragedy, and we cannot talk about high quality medical care in the places of forced detention. I know this firsthand. For more than seven years I have been engaged in public control over the observance of human rights in places of detention and was a member of the Public Supervisory Commission of the Republic of Ingushetia.

It will be neither possible to prevent the spread of Coronovirus (COVID-19), nor to ensure its treatment in case of negative developments under conditions of detention in pre-trial and temporary detention facilities, colonies of various regimes, as well as other places of forced detention.

According to the World Health Organiaation (WHO) recommendations, one of the best methods of prevention is self-isolation of citizens, i.e. minimization of contacts with the outside world. This is available only to those citizens who are not under arrest.

The most correct and wise decision would be to act according to the international experience of some countries. Iran, the United States and other countries have announced that they are releasing thousands of prisoners who do not represent a danger to society.

For a year now, the participants of peaceful mass actions in Ingushetia have been unjustifiably and unlawfully detained; they are being held in places of forced detention of North Ossetia, Stavropol and Kabardino-Balkaria. The last two regions have already officially confirmed detecting the Coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in their regions, which greatly increases the threat of its spread throughout the district.

None of those arrested in the criminal case initiated on the events [of a rally] in Magas on March 27 represents a danger to society, moreover, the overwhelming majority of the residents of the Republic of Ingushetia are ready to act as guarantors for all those arrested, if the preventive measures are vhanged for them to any other unrelated to detention in the places of forced detention. Elders Malsag Uzhakhov and Akhmed Barakhoev, as well as a young girl, cultural worker Zarifa Sautiyeva, are in a special situation. All the three have diseases that complicate their being in places of forced detention. All the three do not only represent any danger to society, but, on the contrary, are respectable and respected people in the republic. The totality of all circumstances led to the recognition of these people as victims of political repression, unreasonably unleashed in the Republic by your predecessors.

The deepest political crisis in the Republic of Ingushetia resulting from the actions of individual officials who are no longer in the Republic and the region has been going on for 18 months already. Their policies have undermined public confidence in the government. Today they do not occupy any posts directly related to the North Caucasus Federal District, but the people remains and it is extremely important for the authorities to stabilise the situation by humane methods, without manifesting unreasonable cruelty and rash acts.

Under the conditions that have developed in the region and before the threat looming over the whole world, the right decision would be to change the preventive measure for all those arrested in a criminal case initiated on the events in Magas on March 27, 2019, to any that is not related to detention in places of forced detention. I am urging you, Yury Yakovlevich, and you, Makhmud-Ali Maksharipovich, to assist in the immediate release of the arrested residents of the Republic of Ingushetia and detained in the places of forced detention of North Ossetia, Stavropol and Kabardino-Balkaria. The people consider all those arrested in this case as their heroes, political prisoners and are waiting for their soonest return.

Ruslan Mutsolgov,

Chairman of the Ingush regional branch of the Yabloko Party

*RUSLAN MUTSOLGOV

is Chairman of the regional branch of the Yabloko party in the Republic of Ingushetia