Overview

• Fail Alsynov, a rights activist in Russia's Bashkortostan region, has been sentenced to four years in prison for 'inciting ethnic hatred', a charge he denies.
• Alsynov's sentencing sparked one of the largest protests in Russia since the start of the war in Ukraine, with thousands gathering in the town of Baymak in support of the activist.
• Clashes broke out between the police and the protesters, with police using tear gas, flash grenades and batons to disperse the crowd.
• Alsynov was a leader of Bashkort, a grassroots movement working to preserve the culture, language and ethnic identity of the region's people, which was banned as an 'extremist organization' in 2020.
• Alsynov's supporters argue that the charges against him are politically motivated, stemming from his activism against mining operations in the region and his criticism of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.