Three more people convicted in the Baymak prosecution are political prisoners
Participants in a public rally in support of opposition figure Fail Alsynov have been sentenced to terms of imprisonment
The ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human rights project, in accordance with international standards, considers Airat Akhmetov, Ruslan Gizatullin and Munir Isyangildin political prisoners. The three men were convicted of ‘participation in riots’ and ‘use of violence against a representative of the authorities’ for participating in a protest in defence of Bashkir opposition figure Fail Alsynov. Their criminal prosecution and conviction violated their rights to freedom of assembly, freedom of expression and a fair trial. We demand that the three men be released, that the charges against them of participation in riots be dropped, and that the charges of use of violence against a representative of the authorities be subject to a retrial.
There is evidence of political motivation and unlawful deprivation of liberty in the cases of other defendants whose trials have not yet ended; we continue to monitor the progress of their criminal cases with a view to potentially recognising them as political prisoners.
What were the charges in the Baymak case?
On 17 January 2024, thousands of people in Bashkortostan gathered outside the courthouse in Baymak where the trial of Fail Alsynov, leader of the Bashkir national movement, was taking place. Alsynov was sentenced to four years in a penal colony on a charge of inciting hatred for a speech at an environmental rally. Alsynov’s supporters were outraged by the verdict. OMON riot police attempted to disperse the protesters, who threw snowballs at them. The police responded with tear gas, batons and flashbang grenades.
The next day, mass arrests began in Bashkortostan. About 500 people were, as a result, convicted of administrative-law offences. Criminal charges were brought against at least 78 people, including three women. Almost all those charged (most of them fathers of large families and sole breadwinners) were remanded in custody. Most were accused of using violence against police officers that was not dangerous to life or health (Article 318, Part 1, of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) and participating in riots (Article 212, Part 2, CC RF). Ten people were charged with organising riots (Article 212, Part 1, CC RF).
Allegedly for security reasons, the trials of those charged have been taking place in different regions of Russia, often in camera. Our project has already recognised 59 defendants convicted in the Baymak case as political prisoners. We have further established that two others have been victims of politically motivated prosecutions.
On 23 December 2025, a court in Izhevsk sentenced Ruslan Gizatullin and Munir Isyangildin to terms of four years and two months in a penal colony; Airat Akhmetov was sentenced to a term of four years and six months. All the three had been convicted of using violence against police officers that was not dangerous to life or health and of participating in riots.
Why do we consider Airat Akhmetov, Ruslan Gizatullin and Munir Isyangildin political prisoners?
There were no riots outside the court in Baymak. There was a peaceful gathering in support of Fail Alsynov, whose unlawful prosecution outraged many people in Bashkortostan.
Those who gathered outside the court committed no acts that could be classified as riots. The security forces unjustifiably used force against people who had gathered to await the verdict and were chanting slogans.
The wording of the law on riots is very vague, thereby facilitating its arbitrary application against dissidents. The violence against police officers that did take place on that day was provoked by the actions of the security forces themselves, who tried to disperse the protesters. At the same time, the prosecution’s claims that police officers in full protective gear experienced physical pain from snowballs seem absurd.
The scale of the criminal prosecution is unprecedented even for Putin’s Russia. The severity of the sentences handed down is disproportionate to the public danger of the acts committed. Many of the defendants deny they used violence against the police. Some deny that they were even outside the courthouse that day. The evidence presented by the prosecution has consisted of videos, often of very poor quality, and, where this is lacking, the testimony of police officers and provocateurs in the crowd. The prosecution also relied on secret witnesses, whose testimony cannot be verified.
The security forces used violence both in the making of arrests and in the conduct of interrogations. Dim Davletkildin was hospitalized from the remand prison because of injuries to his spine; Rifat Dautov died in a police van from numerous injuries following his arrest. Miniyar Bayguskarov committed suicide because of pressure from the security forces.
Detailed descriptions of the prosecutions of those convicted in the Baymak case and of our position is available on our website.
How can you help?
You can write to the defendants using the addresses published on the respective pages of our website.
You can follow news about the Baymak case via the Telegram group set up to help the defendants.
Please note that letters in languages other than Russian are highly unlikely to reach the intended recipient.
You can donate to help all political prisoners in Russia.
