A Chechen businessman has been sentenced to 15 days’ detention over a satirical video about migrants, Muscovites and people from the Caucasus, reports Baza.
On 19 September, the Ostankinsky District Court in Moscow found Islam Amerkhanov guilty of inciting hatred (Article 20.3.1 of the Administrative Code).
According to the court’s decision, on 16 September, the Butyrsky Interdistrict Prosecutor’s Office identified a post in the xenophobic Telegram channel ‘Migrants—the unvarnished truth,’ which featured Amerkhanov’s video.
In the recording, he comments that hundreds of taxis in Moscow are idle because, after stricter legislation, many migrants from Central Asia who used to work in the industry have lost their jobs.
“These are all cars that were supposed to be carrying your rich, arrogant arses, Muscovites. But how did it happen that so many cabs are sitting idle? Thanks to the prayers of you Muscovites—I’m not saying Russians, I’m saying specifically Muscovites—every second Asian has ended up blacklisted… And now taxis will get more expensive, because Russians and Muscovites, they don’t want to work. They want to sit and enjoy life just like me,” says Amerkhanov in an ironic tone.
The businessman goes on to predict that migrants from Central Asia in the taxi sector will be replaced by people from the Caucasus regions.
“Moscow is facing the gravest catastrophe of all—the Caucasus people. I’m doing absolutely everything I can to drag as many people from the Caucasus here to Moscow. UFC champions, MMA fighters, wrestlers, track and field athletes—now they’ll be your drivers. Taxi passengers in Moscow will have to be on their best behaviour. You won’t be able to slam the door any more or forget to brush the dirt off your shoes before you get in the car. Having a good time? Well, we’ll handle it,” he says.
The expert who prepared an analysis for the prosecution found linguistic and psychological signs in Amerkhanov’s video of inciting hatred against “people from Central Asia and the Caucasus, in respect of whom suggestions or calls are made to carry out discriminatory actions (refusing taxi rides with drivers whose surnames create suspicion that they are visitors from these regions).” However, in the video, Amerkhanov does not call for refusing rides with taxi drivers from Central Asia or the Caucasus.
The expert also identified signs of demeaning the dignity of Muscovites, “who are attributed negative behavioural traits—such as a disrespectful attitude towards taxi drivers.”
Amerkhanov himself admitted guilt in court, but said the video was a joke and that he did not intend to offend or demean the honour and dignity of Muscovites or Russians. He added that he is himself a Muscovite and “does not tolerate any disrespect for this city or its residents.”
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Illustration: OVD-Info