Unrest in Russia’s Bashkortostan: 10,000 rally against activist's conviction ahead of elections

Mass protests began in Bashkortostan last Tuesday in Baymak, coinciding with the trial of local activist Fail Alsynov. He was sentenced to four years in prison the following day for allegedly inciting ethnic hatred. According to independent media reports, about 10,000 people might have demonstrated outside the court on the day of the trial. Several clashes with police occurred, with many protesters being arrested.

Ignoring Governor Radiy Khabirov's warnings, a demonstration occurred the following Friday. Khabirov had threatened decisive action by security forces against those he labeled "extremists and traitors" - referring to the protesters.

Ruslan Gabbasov, the chairman of the Bashkir National Movement Committee Abroad, who is currently in exile, encouraged protesters to continue their demonstrations in the coming days and to expand the protests. - "Launch a disobedience campaign across the whole of Bashkortostan!" - he implored.

Fail Alsynov, a famous environmental activist in Bashkortostan, was indicted in spring 2023 when he participated in protests against planned gold mining near Izhmuryzino. Alsynov was accused of stirring up hatred on ethnic grounds. Opposition media suggested that Alsynov was arrested and subsequently convicted at the behest of the Bashkortostan authorities for opposing mining companies, possibly linked to the region's administration.

Home to over 4 million people and the capital city of Ufa, the Republic of Bashkortostan is situated in the Urals, on the Europe-Asia border. According to data from 2021, roughly 56% of the population are of Turkish origin - Bashkirs and Tatars - while only 37.5% are Russians.

Throughout the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine, independent observers have expressed concern regarding the frequency with which members of ethnic minorities in Russia, including the Bashkirs, are conscripted into the army as part of the mobilization and then sent to the frontlines.

As noted by dw.com, despite official attempts to discredit him, for many citizens of Bashkortostan, Alsynov remains a symbol of resistance who was treated harshly by the authorities. As quoted by the portal, Russian political scientist Yekaterina Schulmann suggests that the authorities could have left the protesters in the cold as a strategy. - "This helps to avoid creating a negative image of police beating people," - the expert explains in an interview with dw.com.

This time, however, the authorities opted for "spectacular stun grenades and conflicts". As Schulmann emphasizes, this strategy was risky so close to the presidential elections in Russia, explaining it as a result of "administrative dysfunction", in which different parts of the government do not cooperate cohesively.

The Russian presidential elections are scheduled for March 17th.