A blogger and activist, Insa Oguz from the Russian Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria has been camping on the border between Georgia and Russia. She was charged with facilitating terrorist activities in Russia while investigating corruption allegations of a high-ranking official in Kabardino-Balkaria. Despite her escaping from Russian prosecution, she was denied entry into Georgia and lived on the border. After 16 days, thanks to the effective actions of Polish diplomacy she is safe now.
As a blogger and an activist, Insa Oguz has written about abuses in the charity system in Russia which was disliked by the local FSB. She was firstly placed under house arrest in December 2021 but then the Russian government extended this form of strict control connected with the ongoing prosecution. The allegations of facilitating terrorist activities in Russia were the main cause of her house arrest. She was charged with recruiting a person to a terrorist group. The charge was based on an online chat she had with an acquaintance. Even though it might seem ridiculous, such allegations can result in 5 to 10 years of imprisonment in the Russian Federation which could result in 5 to 10 years in prison.
According to Tbilisi Life, a Telegram channel for Russian immigrants in Georgia, Oguz escaped detention and tried to cross the border into Georgia through the Upper Lars crossing. Prior to that, she reportedly attempted to swim across the River Terek but almost drowned. (oc-media.org)
Luckily, this attempt was successful. Unfortunately, however, Insa Oguz’s problems did not vanish on the border. She was excluded from Georgia’s asylum procedure. Moreover, she was interrogated by the police and she slept on the bench without any access to such primary sustenance as fresh water. The kindness and goodwill of lorry drivers and passers-by helped her to survive this nightmare.
facebook.com/mmgosiewska
After reviewing the available materials in the Insa Oguz case, the memorial stated that her persecution by the Russian law enforcement agencies was illegal and politically motivated. The Commissioner for Human Rights of Georgia intervened in the Insa case, but representatives of this institution were not even admitted to it. The Georgian authorities did not react to the Ombudsman’s official message calling for action in line with international standards. (facebook.com/mmgosiewska)
The case was investigated by the MEMORIAL Center for Human Rights which constitutes the independent human rights project after obstacles provided by dissatisfied Russian Politician Vladimir Putin caused by the organization’s activities. MP Małgorzata Gosiewska has undertaken various diplomatic activities in the case of Insa. The Ambassador of the Republic of Poland and the Ambassador of the Republic of Lithuania were involved in the assistance, declaring their readiness to issue a visa, Insze Oguz, and help in travelling to Poland or Lithuania. MP Gosiewska supervised the case till the very end. Thanks to the help of the organizations and people mentioned above, Insa Oguz is now safe in the capital city of Georgia, Tbilisi.