Overview

• Protests in Russia's Bashkortostan republic continue to escalate following the jailing of popular rights activist Fail Alsynov, with the most recent demonstration taking place in the regional capital, Ufa.
• Alsynov was sentenced to four years in a penal colony for allegedly inciting ethnic hatred towards migrant workers, a charge he denies, arguing his words were poorly translated into Russian.
• The demonstrations, which have resulted in numerous detentions, are some of the most significant since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
• Regional head Radiy Khabirov has accused the protesters of inciting extremism and being influenced from abroad, while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the protests as 'individual incidents'.
• Alsynov's case has exposed deeper layers of discontent within Russia's highly centralized, authoritarian system, with the protests not only against the Kremlin but also expressing discontent with Bashkortostan head Radiy Khabirov.