The thaw in Russia, which some (do not) have the conscience to talk about, has an exceptionally singular and ostentatious character, limited to cases like that of Ivan Golunov, when there is a significant public resonance and it is easier to release such a person, pretending to be merciful, than to continue to hold him.
In the rest of the daily reality of today’s Putin’s Russia, the political repression machine continues to run. In Ingushetia, for example, searches and arrests were carried out in Nazran, Troitskaya, Nesterovskaya, Ekazhevo and Kurtat in connection with last year’s protests. The victims were Bytygov Maksharip, Bekov Amirkhan, Khamkhoev Ismail and Barakhoev Magomed, the father and sons Solsanov. Information about new searches and arrests continues to arrive.
In another Muslim republic — Bashkortostan, the leading legal organization of the Bashkir people — BAO «Bashkor» became the target of repressions, pressure on which we have repeatedly reported. This time, the Prosecutor’s Office appealed to the Supreme Court of Bashkortostan with a declaration that BAO «Bashkor» should be recognized as an extremist organization, which would mean not only a complete ban on its activities, but also criminal liability for its participants, including long prison terms, in case of its continuation. Incidentally, the same accusations of extremism are currently being made against the leaders of the Ingush protest.
In other words, repressive processes in two Muslim republics with active civil and national movements are taking place synchronously.