Opposition figure Gulu Mammadli stated that the arrest of Ali Karimli, leader of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), was expected, but the reasons go beyond simple criticism of the authorities. According to Mammadli, Karimli's publications in major Western media have increased his political significance and visibility abroad, which has caused concern among the Azerbaijani authorities.
The criminal case against Magomed-Bashir Kalimatov, the elder brother of the Head of Ingushetia Makhmud-Ali Kalimatov, and 28 others accused of embezzling funds from the Russian Pension Fund will be heard in the Cherkessk City Court of Karachay-Cherkessia. This decision was made by the Fifth Cassation Court of General Jurisdiction, changing the territorial jurisdiction of the case.
Magomed-Bashir Kalimatov and Kambulat Sukiyev, former heads of the Federal Postal Service of Ingushetia, as well as their accomplices, are accused of fraud on an especially large scale, namely, the theft of 519 million rubles. They are also charged with creating a criminal community. According to the investigation, the organized group was engaged in illegal recalculation of pensions using forged documents and withdrawal of funds through post offices in Ingushetia.
Under the article on fraud, Kalimatov faces up to ten years in prison, and under the article on criminal community - up to 20 years.