Thousands of demonstrators have been violently dispersed by police in the town of Baimak in Russia's Bashkortostan region as they protested against the sentencing of noted activist Fail Alsynov to four years in prison on a charge of inciting hatred, which he and his supporters reject.
The protesters, who were participating in one of the largest demonstrations in Russia since Moscow launched its ongoing invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, were angry after a court on January 17 jailed Alsynov for a speech he made in April 2023 at a rally over plans to mine for gold in Bashkortostan, which is located in Russia's southern Ural Mountains near the border between Europe and Asia.
Alsynov, the former leader of the banned Bashqort group, which for years promoted the Bashkir language and culture, was immediately handcuffed and taken away by guards.
He told his supporters that he "did not expect" such a harsh sentence, stressing that prosecutors had asked the court to sentence him to four years in a dormitory-like penitentiary located near an industrial facility where convicts work alongside regular employees.
Instead, the court sentenced him to four years in a more strict prison. Alsynov added that he will appeal the sentence.
"I do not accept guilt. I have always fought for justice, for my people, for my republic, so we will see each other again.... I will appeal. I do not understand the policies of [Bashkortostan’s head Radiy] Khabirov. The people came to support me, and I do not know what is going to happen. We did not want this," Alsynov said.
Alsynov's lawyer, Ilnur Suyundukov, said the court's ruling "has nothing to do either with law or with morals."
The announcement of the sentence sparked angry confrontations between security forces and Alsynov's supporters, with police in riot gear firing tear gas and stun grenades as they pushed people away from the courthouse.
"What are you doing? Why are you beating me?" one protester screamed as police used shields and batons to push her away.
The SOTA Telegram channel quoted an ambulance worker as saying some 22 people turned to them for injuries sustained during the clashes with police, adding that two people needed to be taken to a hospital.
SOTA also reported that National Guard troops were sent to Baimak to back up police.
The Vyorstka Telegram channel said police had detained dozens of protesters.
Several Telegram channels that have covered Alsynov's trial and the protests, such as RusNews, Kushtau Bairam, Tot samy Bashkort, Ruslan Gabbasov, became inaccessible on January 17. A day earlier, Telegram blocked several opposition channels in Bashkortostan, but activists set up new ones in their place.
Internet access also became difficult and restricted in Baimak on January 17.
Alsynov's supporters vowed to block all highways around Baimak and roads in the town to prevent Alsynov's transportation to a detention center.
On January 16, police detained several noted activists across Bashkortostan in an apparent attempt to prevent the protest from taking place.
The charge against Alsynov stemmed from a speech he gave at a rally in late April 2023 in the village of Ishmurzino. In it, he criticized the local government’s plans to start gold mining near the village as it would bring in migrant laborers.
Investigators said Alsynov's speech "negatively assessed people in the Caucasus and Central Asia, humiliating their human dignity."
The investigation of Alsynov was initiated by Bashkortostan head Khabirov, who accused the activist of "inciting ethnic hatred" as well as "calling for anti-government rallies and extremist activities" and "discrediting Russia's armed forces."
In the end, Alsynov was charged only with inciting hatred.
Bashkortostan's Supreme Court banned Alsynov's Bashqort group, which for years promoted equal rights for ethnic Bashkirs, in May 2020, declaring it extremist.
Bashqort was banned after staging several rallies and other events challenging the policies of both local and federal authorities, including Moscow's move to abolish mandatory indigenous-language classes in the regions with large populations of indigenous ethnic groups.