In January 2024, the town of Baymak in Bashkortostan became the epicenter of mass protests following the sentencing of Fayil Alsynov, a prominent Bashkir environmental activist, to four years in prison for allegedly inciting ethnic hatred. His arrest, widely seen as politically motivated, sparked outrage among locals who had long opposed environmentally destructive gold-mining project in the region, which the company later decided to halt. The protests were met with a harsh crackdown by authorities, resulting in over 70 arrests and what is now considered the largest political trial in modern Russian history. Defendants face serious charges such as organising mass unrest and violence against law enforcement, punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

Many detainees were subjected to beatings, threats, and psychological pressure while in custody. Families of the accused face financial ruin, with legal fees and travel costs mounting as trials are held outside Bashkortostan. Some defendants, including elderly and chronically ill individuals, were arrested under questionable circumstances, and at least two people - Rifat Dautov and Minniyar Bayguskarov - died in detention under suspicious conditions. The authorities have used administrative charges as a gateway to criminal prosecution, and the case has been marked by a lack of transparency and due process.