Eco-activist faces years in prison
Thousands of Russians protest after questionable verdict
January 17, 2024, 11:07 a.m
In the Russian republic of Bashkortostan, an environmental activist is sentenced to four years in prison for alleged racism. He previously railed against the war of aggression on social media because many dead soldiers came from his homeland. The verdict sparked a protest the likes of which Russia has not seen for a long time.
Several thousand people demonstrated in the Russian republic of Bashkortostan on the Volga against the condemnation of local eco-activist Fail Alsynov. According to media reports, Alsynow was sentenced to four years in prison for allegedly making racist statements. According to the independent Internet portal Vyorstka, more than 3,000 people gathered in front of the courthouse in the small town of Baimak to support Alsynov. Observers speak of one of the largest protests in Russia since the start of the war of aggression against Ukraine.
The demonstrators chanted “Freedom for Alsynov” and demanded the resignation of the regional leader Radii Khabirov, on whose demand the trial against the eco-activist had been initiated. A video shared by the media Ostoroschno Novosti is said to show security forces using force to push away the crowd. Several people were therefore arrested.
Alsynov was one of the leaders of the protests against the mining of the Kushtau limestone mountain in Bashkortostan for the soda factory located there. As a result of the demonstrations, Kushtau was declared a protected natural monument in 2020. At the same time, the 37-year-old campaigned for greater autonomy for the republic and the protection of the Bashkir language. The Bashkort organization he co-led was classified as extremist and banned in 2020.
At the end of 2022, Alsynov was sentenced to a fine for an entry on the Russian social network VKontakte. He called the war of aggression against Ukraine a “genocide of the Bashkir people.” “This is not our war,” he criticized the invasion. According to media reports, the Bashkortostan region is one of the Russian regions with above-average losses in the Ukrainian war.