{"id":3959,"date":"2020-12-17T23:37:42","date_gmt":"2020-12-17T22:37:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.human-rights-year.com\/?p=3959"},"modified":"2020-12-29T23:39:19","modified_gmt":"2020-12-29T22:39:19","slug":"memorial-ingush-journalist-rashid-maisigov-is-a-political-prisoner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.human-rights-year.com\/de\/2020\/12\/17\/memorial-ingush-journalist-rashid-maisigov-is-a-political-prisoner\/","title":{"rendered":"Memorial: Ingush journalist Rashid Maisigov is a political prisoner"},"content":{"rendered":"

Memorial Human Rights Centre, on\u00a0the basis of\u00a0international criteria<\/a>, considers Rashid Maisigov a\u00a0political prisoner. We\u00a0believe the journalist from Ingushetia has been prosecuted and convicted for his exercise of\u00a0the right to\u00a0freedom of\u00a0expression. The aim of\u00a0the repressive measures against him is\u00a0to\u00a0stop criticism of\u00a0the authorities and to\u00a0intimidate society. We\u00a0demand the release of\u00a0Rashid Maisigov and that those responsible for his prosecution be\u00a0brought to\u00a0justice.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Who is\u00a0Rashid Maisigov and what is\u00a0he\u00a0accused of?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rashid Maisigov was editor of\u00a0the Fortanga.ORG website and reported on\u00a0protests against the transfer of\u00a0parts of\u00a0Ingushetia to\u00a0Chechnya. Shortly before his arrest he\u00a0reported that he\u00a0had received anonymous threats related to\u00a0his professional activities and stopped working.<\/p>\n

On\u00a012 July 2019, the journalist was\u00a0detained<\/a>\u00a0by\u00a0the FSB. In\u00a0the course of\u00a0an\u00a0\u2018investigation of\u00a0the premises\u2019, leaflets calling for the unification of\u00a0Ingushetia with Georgia were \u2018found\u2019 in\u00a0Maisigov\u2019s\u00a0house in\u00a0Nazran, and in\u00a0a\u00a0\u2018body search\u2019 conducted during this operation a\u00a0sachet of\u00a0heroin was found in\u00a0the back pocket of\u00a0his trousers.<\/p>\n

Maisigov\u2019s\u00a0trial at\u00a0Magas district court on\u00a0charges of\u00a0possessing drugs (Article 228, Part 2, of\u00a0the Russian Criminal Code) began in\u00a0December 2019. The defendant himself claimed the heroin was planted on\u00a0him. However, on\u00a016 September 2020 he\u00a0was found guilty and sentenced him to\u00a0three years in\u00a0a\u00a0general-regime penal colony.<\/p>\n

In\u00a0January 2020 the FSB laid new charges against Maisigov for incitement of\u00a0separatism (Article 280.1, Parts 1 and 2, of\u00a0the Russian Criminal Code). According to\u00a0the investigation, the journalist posted the following text on\u00a0the Internet: \u2018For the sake of\u00a0a\u00a0decent life for future generations there is\u00a0only one path\u00a0\u2014 to\u00a0secede from Russia and join the democratic state of\u00a0Georgia, which is\u00a0based on\u00a0the rule of\u00a0law. We\u00a0ask the Georgian government and the world community to\u00a0support our choice and to\u00a0accept Ingushetia as\u00a0part of\u00a0Georgia, to\u00a0take Ingushetia under their protection and provide Georgian passports for the entire population of\u00a0the republic.\u2019 In\u00a0addition, the investigation alleges that Maisigov allegedly prepared at\u00a0least 38 leaflets requesting that Georgia allow Ingushetia to\u00a0become part of\u00a0that country. The FSB claims the journalist distributed them in\u00a0Nazran and Magas.<\/p>\n

Initially, Maisigov stated that the leaflets had been planted on\u00a0him. Then, however, he\u00a0pleaded guilty and requested that his case be\u00a0considered under a\u00a0special procedure without a\u00a0trial. The \u2018special procedure\u2019 provides for a\u00a0more lenient penalty of\u00a0up\u00a0to\u00a0two-thirds the maximum term of\u00a0imprisonment.<\/p>\n

Why Memorial considers Maisigov a\u00a0political prisoner<\/strong><\/p>\n