Support The Moscow Times!

Memorial Designates Bashkir Activist Alsynov ‘Political Prisoner’

Fail Alsynov. SOTA / AFP

A prominent Bashkir activist whose imprisonment earlier this year sparked mass protests was designated a political prisoner by the Russian rights group Memorial on Wednesday.

Fayil Alsynov was sentenced to four years in a penal colony in January on charges of “inciting interethnic hatred.” However, many observers believe he was targeted for campaigning against illegal gold mining in his native republic of Bashkortostan.

Memorial described the case against the activist as “blatant political prosecution,” adding that Alysonv enjoys “the strong backing from the public” in Bashkorostan.

“The high level of support for Fail Alsynov is evidenced by the mass demonstrations… [after] his sentencing, which attracted several thousand people,” the rights group said.

During his trial, authorities claimed Alsynov “negatively assessed” migrant workers from the North Caucasus and Central Asia and “violated” their “human dignity” by referring to them as “black people” in a speech he gave last year.

Alsynov denied the accusations and insisted his words were “gravely mistranslated” from his native Bashkir language by a government-affiliated linguistic expert. 

“Fail Alsynov’s public speech… was devoted to the worsening environmental situation in the Baymaksky district of Bashkortostan, caused by the ongoing exploration and mining of minerals there,” Memorial said.

Thousands gathered outside the court in the southeastern town of Baymak when the initial verdict in Alsynov’s case was handed down in January. Riot police used smoke grenades, tear gas and batons to disperse the crowds.

The January rallies in support of the Bashkir activist, which were some of the largest in Russia since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, have been followed by sweeping repressions against those who participated in them.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more