A disabled man to be prosecuted for organizing a rally in defense of the Irandyk mountain range in Bashkortostan

Ilsur Irnazarov is charged with violation of the law on assemblies and rallies. According to the police, Irnazarov failed to have authorized by the administration changes regarding the location, timing, and format of a planned public gathering on May 20th.

The activist disagrees with the charges. He contends that the administration had granted him permission to hold the meeting and utilize outdoor loudspeakers if the designated hall with a capacity of 350 seats could not accommodate all participants. Irnazarov believes that the investigation was initiated by the Baymak district administration, seeking to penalize him. Irnazarov is a wheelchair user, as reported by RusNews.

During the rally on May 20th, residents of the Baymak district of Bashkortostan recorded a video appeal to Alexander Bastrykin, the head of the Investigative Committee. They requested an investigation into the granting of licenses to both domestic and foreign companies for mining gold and other minerals. As a result, a criminal case was initiated against the gold miners.

In April 2023, regular public gatherings opposing the plans of gold mining companies to conduct geological surveys began in the Baymak district. In May, at one such meeting, people reelected the head of the village of Ishmurzin in disregard of the official electoral procedures. The new head became activist Rashida Faizullina, with Ildar Yumagulov serving as her deputy.

The police deemed these actions illegal and charged Yumagulov with administrative offenses. Yumagulov maintains that during the meeting, people exercised their constitutional right to reelect the head of a rural settlement. Should he be found guilty, Yumagulov plans to challenge the decision in court.

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