State investigators open criminal case after protesters in Ingushetia attack police and National Guard troops

State investigators have opened a criminal case following clashes between protesters and police in Magas on March 27. Officials say 10 members of the National Guard and local police force were violently attacked by demonstrators during an unpermitted rally against changes to Ingush referendum laws.

Investigators are currently working to identify the protesters responsible for the attacks. If found and convicted, the perpetrators face up to 10 years in prison.

From the morning of March 26 to the morning of March 27, demonstrators gathered in Magas to protest changes to Ingush referendum law. The activists also demanded the resignation of the republic’s top leaders. Law enforcement attempted to disperse the crowd. Ingush Interior Ministry officials later disbanded the police battalion that was sent to disperse the late March demonstration, firing more than a dozen officers who refused to carry out orders, and transferring other battalion members to new units.

After taking a leave of absence in late March, Ingush Interior Minister and Lieutenant General Dmitry Kava reportedly filed his resignation letter “in view of the events in Magas.”