In Bashkortostan, Rifat Dautov, who became a defendant in a criminal case due to protests in support of environmental activist Fail Alsynov, died after being detained. His sister Zalia spoke about this in a telegram and in a conversation with Ufa1.ru journalists; the fact of death was also confirmed by Alsynov's lawyer Ilnur Suyundukov.
According to his sister, Dautov did not participate in the gathering in Baymak, which was dispersed by security forces, but was only present next to the action in Ufa on January 19, when he was waiting for his girlfriend there. First, a local police officer came to the man’s home in Ufa to give him a warning; after some time, security forces detained him when he went to the remote village of Novye Chebenki.
“On the street [he] was dragged into a gazelle by riot police and taken away , didn’t introduce themselves, it’s unknown where they were taken,” wrote Zalia Dautova. Details about the circumstances under which the man died are unknown. Relatives were invited to the Ufa morgue on Tsvetochnaya Street, but were not allowed inside, citing the absence of an investigator.
My sister, in a conversation with Ufa1.ru, commented version published by the telegram channel “RB Operational Reports”. The anonymous channel claimed that Dautov was detained drunk because of the case of “riots” in Baymak and he “died from ingestion of surrogate alcohol and concomitant heart failure.” Dautov “didn’t drink,” the woman denies.
«We are black people.» What is the Bashkir activist Fail Alsynov accused of, whom hundreds (and maybe thousands) of people came to trial today
Protests in Bashkortostan in January began due to the persecution of environmental activist Fail Alsynov, who was the co-chairman of a group banned in Russia by a court decision of the Bashkort organization and participated in the protection of the Kushtau Shikhan from development in 2020.
On January 17, the Baymaksky District Court sentenced Alsynov to four years in prison. He was found guilty of inciting hatred while delivering a speech at a gathering against the plans of gold miners to start gold mining near the village of Ishmurzino (Part 1 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code). The case was opened on the initiative of the head of Bashkortostan, Radiy Khabirov — he wrote a complaint to the prosecutor's office.
On January 15 and 17, Alsynov's supporters gathered at the court in Baymak. On the day of the verdict, security forces dispersed them, including using stun grenades and tear gas; They threw snowballs in response. On January 19, a gathering in support of Alsynov took place in Ufa, at the monument to Salavat Yulaev; it also ended in arrests.