Supporters of jailed activist bring rare protest to capital of Russian region
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00:00 Rare scenes of unrest in southern Russia. Hundreds of protesters in the Republic of
00:06 Bashkortostan brave the Arctic weather to demand the release of activist Fail Alsinov.
00:16 The protests which began in the town of Baymak spread to the regional capital Ufa, despite
00:21 warnings from regional leader Khabarov.
00:30 Protesters faced violent clashes with riot police, with local Russian media reporting
00:34 that several people have been detained. The protests were sparked by the jailing of Fail
00:39 Alsinov, an activist campaigning to protect the language and culture of the ethnic Bashkir
00:45 people. He led demonstrations to prevent mining operations on a sacred Bashkir hill in 2020
00:51 and criticised the recruitment of ethnic Bashkirs to fight for Russia and Ukraine. On Wednesday,
00:57 Alsinov was given a four-year prison sentence on charges of inciting ethnic hatred during
01:02 a speech he made at a protest.
01:06 I do not admit to guilt. I have always fought for justice, for my people, for my republic.
01:14 In a country where large demonstrations are extremely rare, videos of these protests have
01:19 been circulating across social media. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has downplayed the
01:24 situation in the region, claiming that there are no mass protests nor public disorder.