Dagestani rights defender Isalmagomed Nabiev awarded sign of honour "People's Hero of Dagestan"

On March 31, the administration of Khasavyurt hosted the awarding ceremony of the well-known Dagestani human rights activist and journalist Isalmagomed Nabiev with the gold honourable sign "People's Hero of Dagestan" with delivery of the respective certificate. The ceremony was attended by residents of Khasavyurt, university students, members of the city administration, human rights activists and journalists.

The moderator of the event was Suleiman Uladiev, Deputy Mayor of Khasavyurt and a well-known social activist and publicist. In his speech he noted that for the first time in the history of post-Soviet Dagestan a man is awarded who has to do with human rights work.

"Mr Nabiev's rewarding is not our whim, but the results of the sociological poll, where the name of Nabiev was mostly mentioned. His life is a huge and dangerous work. Nabiev defends not only himself but also our rights; he defends the future of Dagestan. When drivers of fixed-route taxis went to their protest actions, we were sitting at home, while Nabiev stood with them and helped them (Nabiev is the chairman of the independent trade union of employers and drivers of Dagestan, - note of the "Caucasian Knot")," said Suleiman Uladiev.

According to his story, during the spring elections to the republic's parliament, Nabiev spent the entire day at the polling station. "He was the only person in all of Dagestan who had openly declared that there no elections as such at all. Nabiev's work will be never appreciated by the authorities; we know whom they love and reward. Nabiev shows the Dagestanis with his every step what the civic dignity and courage are; he really lays blocks into the construction of civil society," said Uladiev.

In development of the topic, Arsen Murtazaliev, chairman of the youth parliament of Khasavyurt, has noted that Nabiev is an example for the youth of the city, who will support him in all his endeavours.

Academician Magomed Eldarov, Vice-President of the Imam Shamil International Foundation, said that "the today's Dagestan has many brave persons, but few of those ready to defend their citizen's dignity; Nabiev is one of them."

Mr Nabiev told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent in his comment on the fact of awarding about the situation in the republic. "In Dagestan, not a week passes without reports about killing of 5-10 young men. They are all, regardless of which camp they belong to, Dagestanis. Who has driven our Dagestan to this condition, to the civil war?" For me, the answer is unequivocal - first of all our authorities are to blame. The issue is not that they are somehow complicit in these processes, but in that they had failed to keep the situation under control," said the human rights activist.

The sign of the "People's Hero of Dagestan" was established in 2010 by the Imam Shamil International Foundation, the Public Association in Defence of the Constitution of Russia in Dagestan and the Shamil Umakhanov Public Charitable Foundation named.