Statement by Kase Kik, Chairman of the Council of United Circassia on the Conviction of Ibrahim Nagoev in Maikop

 

The conviction of Ibragim Nagoev to 11 years in prison is not justice. This is an outright act of political violence carried out by the repressive machine of the Russian occupation state against a man whose only "fault" is his interest in the fate of his people and the right to think freely.

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I declare with all responsibility: Ibragim Nagoyev has never been a member of the United Circassian Council movement and had nothing to do with our organizational, administrative or media activities. Attempts to present him as connected with our organization are deliberate falsifications aimed at fabricating a criminal case.

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The policy of our organization categorically excludes any involvement of people located on the territory of the Russian Federation. We are well aware that under the current regime, even minimal contact or sympathy for our activities automatically makes a person an object of persecution. We would never, under any circumstances, put our compatriots in such danger.

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After the Council of United Circassia was declared an "extremist" and "terrorist" organization in Russia in 2024, and I was personally included in the relevant lists in 2025, it became completely clear: The Russian government criminalizes not actions, but thinking itself, identity itself, and the pursuit of freedom.

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I'm talking about this firsthand. Over the years, I have been repeatedly subjected to pressure, harassment, arrests, and torture by Russian law enforcement agencies. I know how "confessions" are extracted, how cases are fabricated, and how people are broken. That is why I declare with full confidence that such sentences have nothing to do with law and justice.

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With a high degree of probability, the only "reason" for the persecution of Ibragim Nagoev could be his actions in the open information space — viewing materials, marks, reposts. In an environment where dissent is equated to a crime, it turned out to be enough to ruin a person's life.

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I am convinced that the guilty plea was obtained under duress, including through the use of torture. This is a typical practice that has been repeatedly documented in relation to politically motivated cases. In such cases, the Russian judicial system does not act as an organ of justice, but as an instrument for legitimizing violence.

The trial of Ibragim Nagoyev is demonstrative and intimidating. This is not just a sentence for one person, it is a signal to the entire Circassian society: for any manifestation of consciousness, for any word, for any thought, punishment will follow. This is a policy of intimidation and suppression.

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I am not personally acquainted with Ibragim Nagoyev. But it doesn't matter today. One thing is obvious: we are looking at a man who has become a victim of a repressive system. And silence in such a situation is tantamount to complicity.

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I appeal to the international community, human rights organizations, and political institutions to provide a legal and public assessment of this verdict. Such actions cannot remain without attention and reaction.

On my own behalf and on behalf of all the members of the United Circassian Council, I express my full support for Ibragim Nagoyev and his family. We will seek publicity for this case and continue to fight for the rights of our people, despite pressure, threats and repression.