Thousands gathered in a rare large protest in the Russian region of Bashkortostan and clashed with riot police who fired tear gas and hit protesters with batons, on Wednesday (Jan 17), after a prominent local rights activist was sentenced to four years in a penal colony.

<h2>Rare protest turned violent</h2>

According to Russia’s Investigative Committee, several people, including law enforcement officials, were injured during the protest and subsequent clashes.&nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;Moscow-Pyongyang relations: Lavrov holds talks with North Korean counterpart

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/moscow-pyongyang-relations-lavrov-holds-talks-with-north-korean-counterpart-680857/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

“During the mass disturbances, which were accompanied by violence, including the use of objects used as weapons, several people were injured, including members of law enforcement agencies,” said the investigators.&nbsp;

A monitoring group, OVD-Info group reported that dozens of people were detained, and injured, and one protester had suffered a “smashed head”.&nbsp;

The clashes broke out between the police and a large crowd of people who had gathered in support of the activist, Fail Alsynov in the small Russian town of Baymak.&nbsp;

Large protests are extremely rare in Russia given the risk of arrest over any gatherings which the authorities deem unauthorised.

According to reports, a few thousand people gathered for the demonstration which went on for several days in temperatures as low as -20 degree Celsius.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-is-developing-ties-with-n-korea-in-all-areas-including-sensitive-ones-kremlin-680872">Russia is developing ties with N. Korea in all areas, including 'sensitive' ones: Kremlin</a>

Footage of the incident showed protesters pelting the police with snowballs which harmlessly smashed against their shields. Several people have also reportedly been detained.&nbsp;

According to the SOTA, an opposition Telegram channel, the clashes broke out after protesters blocked the court building in a bid to try to stop Alsynov from being taken away.

<h2>About Alsynov and his trial</h2>

The local activist was jailed for inciting ethnic hatred and was accused of insulting migrant workers in a speech he made last year over plans to mine for gold in Bashkortostan. A charge which he has since denied saying that his words were mistranslated from the Bashkir language.&nbsp;

However, Alsynov’s supporters said that the case against him was revenge for his role in protests several years earlier during which activists successfully blocked plans to mine for soda on a hill that local people consider a sacred place.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/at-least-17-injured-after-russian-missiles-hit-ukraines-kharkiv-680881">At least 17 injured after Russian missiles hit Ukraine's Kharkiv</a>

“Huge thanks to everyone who came to support me. I will never forget this. I don’t admit my guilt,” the local activist told online media outlet RusNews after the verdict. He added, “I always fought for justice, for my people, for my republic,”

Some people in the crowd were heard shouting “Shame!”&nbsp;while others called for the dismissal of the local governor, Radiy Khabirov who accused Alsynov of using racist language.&nbsp;

In his speech in April 2023, the local activist used two words in Bashkir that were translated into Russian as “black people,” which is considered a derogatory term in Russian. However, he insists the words he used in the Bashkir language mean “poor people”.&nbsp;

<h2>‘Mass rioting’</h2>

Local Russian officials have already opened a criminal case into what it described as “mass rioting” which, according to Russian law carried a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.&nbsp;

Rafail Divayev, head of the local interior ministry, urged the protesters to back down, asking them to “come to your senses and not ruin your life”.&nbsp;

“Mass riots threaten our country’s national security, therefore the punishment under this article is quite serious,” the state-run RIA Novosti news agency quoted him as saying.

The protests were one of the largest demonstrations in Russia since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Thousands gathered in a rare large protest in the Russian region of Bashkortostan and clashed with riot police who fired tear gas and hit protesters with batons, on Wednesday (Jan 17), after a prominent local rights activist was sentenced to four years in a penal colony.

Thousands gathered in a rare large protest in the Russian region of Bashkortostan and clashed with riot police who fired tear gas and hit protesters with batons, on Wednesday (Jan 17), after a prominent local rights activist was sentenced to four years in a penal colony. Rare protest turned violent According to Russia’s Investigative Committee, several people, including law enforcement officials, were injured during the protest and subsequent clashes. WATCH | Moscow-Pyongyang relations: Lavrov holds talks with North Korean counterpart “During the mass disturbances, which were accompanied by violence, including the use of objects used as weapons, several people were injured, including members of law enforcement agencies,” said the investigators. A monitoring group, OVD-Info group reported that dozens of people were detained, and injured, and one protester had suffered a “smashed head”. The clashes broke out between the police and a large crowd of people who had gathered in support of the activist, Fail Alsynov in the small Russian town of Baymak. Large protests are extremely rare in Russia given the risk of arrest over any gatherings which the authorities deem unauthorised. According to reports, a few thousand people gathered for the demonstration which went on for several days in temperatures as low as -20 degree Celsius. ALSO READ | Russia is developing ties with N. Korea in all areas, including 'sensitive' ones: Kremlin Footage of the incident showed protesters pelting the police with snowballs which harmlessly smashed against their shields. Several people have also reportedly been detained. According to the SOTA, an opposition Telegram channel, the clashes broke out after protesters blocked the court building in a bid to try to stop Alsynov from being taken away. About Alsynov and his trial The local activist was jailed for inciting ethnic hatred and was accused of insulting migrant workers in a speech he made last year over plans to mine for gold in Bashkortostan. A charge which he has since denied saying that his words were mistranslated from the Bashkir language. However, Alsynov’s supporters said that the case against him was revenge for his role in protests several years earlier during which activists successfully blocked plans to mine for soda on a hill that local people consider a sacred place. ALSO READ | At least 17 injured after Russian missiles hit Ukraine's Kharkiv “Huge thanks to everyone who came to support me. I will never forget this. I don’t admit my guilt,” the local activist told online media outlet RusNews after the verdict. He added, “I always fought for justice, for my people, for my republic,” Some people in the crowd were heard shouting “Shame!” while others called for the dismissal of the local governor, Radiy Khabirov who accused Alsynov of using racist language. In his speech in April 2023, the local activist used two words in Bashkir that were translated into Russian as “black people,” which is considered a derogatory term in Russian. However, he insists the words he used in the Bashkir language mean “poor people”. ‘Mass rioting’ Local Russian officials have already opened a criminal case into what it described as “mass rioting” which, according to Russian law carried a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. Rafail Divayev, head of the local interior ministry, urged the protesters to back down, asking them to “come to your senses and not ruin your life”. “Mass riots threaten our country’s national security, therefore the punishment under this article is quite serious,” the state-run RIA Novosti news agency quoted him as saying. The protests were one of the largest demonstrations in Russia since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. (With inputs from agencies)

Russia protest: Demonstrators clash with riot police over jailing of rights activist

Scores of people joined a second day of protests in the Russian Far East city of Khabarovsk over the arrest of a popular governor accused of ordering the murders of several businessmen.&nbsp;

Sergei Furgal was detained on Thursday and has been ordered to remain in pre-trial custody for two months over the crimes 15 years ago. The move triggered a mass demonstration on Saturday in Khabarovsk that was joined by around 40,000 people.

On Sunday, local supporters of leading Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny put the turnout at around 2,000.

Furgal won the race for Khabarovsk governor by a landslide in 2018, defeating a member of President Vladimir Putin's United Russia party.

The arrest of the former doctor came just days after Putin -- who has been in power for two decades -- won a landslide ballot on constitutional reforms that could allow him to extend his rule until 2036.

Furgal, leader of the Kremlin-friendly LDPR opposition party, has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/massive-protests-in-russia-after-famous-governors-arrest-312536">Also read |&nbsp;Massive protests in Russia after famous governor's arrest</a>

Saturday's demonstrations -- which saw protesters chanting anti-Putin slogans -- were unprecedented for almost any Russian city outside Moscow and Saint Petersburg.

The local government on Sunday urged people to show calm, noting all gatherings were banned under coronavirus restrictions.

(with inputs from agencies)

Scores of people joined a second day of protests in the Russian Far East city of Khabarovsk over the arrest of a popular governor accused of ordering the murders of several businessmen.

Scores of people joined a second day of protests in the Russian Far East city of Khabarovsk over the arrest of a popular governor accused of ordering the murders of several businessmen. Sergei Furgal was detained on Thursday and has been ordered to remain in pre-trial custody for two months over the crimes 15 years ago. The move triggered a mass demonstration on Saturday in Khabarovsk that was joined by around 40,000 people. On Sunday, local supporters of leading Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny put the turnout at around 2,000. Furgal won the race for Khabarovsk governor by a landslide in 2018, defeating a member of President Vladimir Putin's United Russia party. The arrest of the former doctor came just days after Putin -- who has been in power for two decades -- won a landslide ballot on constitutional reforms that could allow him to extend his rule until 2036. Furgal, leader of the Kremlin-friendly LDPR opposition party, has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. Also read | Massive protests in Russia after famous governor's arrest Saturday's demonstrations -- which saw protesters chanting anti-Putin slogans -- were unprecedented for almost any Russian city outside Moscow and Saint Petersburg. The local government on Sunday urged people to show calm, noting all gatherings were banned under coronavirus restrictions. (with inputs from agencies)

Protests over governor's arrest in Russia enter second day

The top US general in Iraq told reporters on Tuesday that a strike near the Islamic-State-held Syrian city of Raqqa last week appears to have killed dozens of militants and not civilians.

Last week the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said an air strike that hit a school sheltering displaced people killed at least 33 people, adding it believed the strike was carried out by the US-led coalition fighting Islamic State in the area.

&quot;I would tell you that we haven`t completed our assessment of that event yet, but my initial read is (it is) not credible,&quot; Lieutenant General Stephen Townsend told reporters at a Pentagon via teleconference.&nbsp;

&quot;I think that was a clean strike,&quot; Townsend said.&nbsp;

&quot;We had multiple corroborating intelligence sources from various types of intelligence that told us the enemy was using that school and we observed it and we saw what we expected to see,&quot; Townsend said, adding that it appeared to have hit about 30 Islamic State militants.

(Reuters)

The ministry said the protesters were being held on charges of disrupting public order during a non-authorised demonstration

The top US general in Iraq told reporters on Tuesday that a strike near the Islamic-State-held Syrian city of Raqqa last week appears to have killed dozens of militants and not civilians. Last week the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said an air strike that hit a school sheltering displaced people killed at least 33 people, adding it believed the strike was carried out by the US-led coalition fighting Islamic State in the area. "I would tell you that we haven`t completed our assessment of that event yet, but my initial read is (it is) not credible," Lieutenant General Stephen Townsend told reporters at a Pentagon via teleconference. "I think that was a clean strike," Townsend said. "We had multiple corroborating intelligence sources from various types of intelligence that told us the enemy was using that school and we observed it and we saw what we expected to see," Townsend said, adding that it appeared to have hit about 30 Islamic State militants. (Reuters)

Dozen Russia opposition protesters detained by police