Page 54 - bne magazine February 2024_20240206

54 I Eastern Europe bne February 2024
Bashkortostan demonstrations grow into
largest since the Ukraine war started
Ben Aris in Berlin
Demonstrators in the Russian region of Bashkortostan grew
to number several thousand people on January 17, who clashed
with police in what is now the largest public protests since the war in Ukraine started almost two years ago.
Dozens were arrested in the town in central Russia near the Kazakh border, as security forces fired tear gas and beat protesters with batons, according to local media reports.
The public was outraged by the arrest of Bashkir activist Fail Alsynov who was sentenced to four years in prison under charges of inciting hatred and ignited the largest protest in Russia in two years.
Thousands of Alsynov supporters gathered outside the courthouse during the trial in a rare show of public dissent.
Alsynov is well known in the region for being at the forefront of a movement dedicated to preserving Bashkir language and culture, one of Russia’s hundreds of ethnic minorities, as
well as being staunchly opposed to environmentally damaging gold mining operations in the region. The advocacy group, Bashkort, was labelled as extremist in 2020 by the government that has sharply cracked down on any sort of opposition movement, creating legal troubles for Alsynov.
The problems started when Alsynov was imprisoned after delivered a speech in the spring of 2023, where he used the expression "kara halyk" at a rally to protest illegal gold mining, which is a derogatory term translated to “black people” in Russian in reference to Caucasus residents. He complained that while Bashkirs fight in Ukraine, their lands in Bashkortostan are being taken by immigrants from the south.
The local governor Radiy Khabirov, who is a former deputy head of domestic policy for the presidential office, subsequently filed an official complaint of inciting racial hatred. Alsynov denied the accusation, claiming his words had been mistranslated from Bashkir.
Alsynov's supporters allege that the case against him was initiated following a complaint from the regional head, Radiy Khabirov, The Bell reports. The verdict, initially scheduled for January 15, was postponed due to the gathering of thousands of protesters demanding Khabirov's resignation.
Despite efforts to suppress the protest using riot police, it persisted and reached a violent crescendo after the guilty verdict was announced on January 17. The violence escalated after police used stun grenades and tear gas against the protestors. Reports indicate injuries
Demonstrations to support Bashkortostan activist Fail Alsynov grew into the largest since the war in Ukraine started after he was sentenced to four years in jail.
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