HRC "Memorial": 12 persons kidnapped in Dagestan in 2008

In 2008, kidnappings in Dagestan did not stop, which is also admitted by spokesmen from the MIA of Dagestan. However, in estimation of their number and consequences the official data is essentially different from what human rights activists report. This is the topic of the statement of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial", which was received by the "Caucasian Knot".

According to the statement of M. Mirzabalaev, Acting First Deputy Head of the Investigatory Department for Dagestan of the Investigatory Committee at the Prosecutor's Office of the Russian Federation, 8 persons were kidnapped in Dagestan in the first half of 2008. According to his data, all of them are now at home. The officer gave no names and circumstances of kidnappings, having admitted only that by some attributes a conclusion can be drawn that law enforcers had to do with some of the kidnappings. Human rights activists remark that the fogginess of the official information does not allow comparing it with the data they possess.

Thus, the HRC "Memorial" has information about twelve cases of "disappearances" in 2008 in Dagestan. The basic difference of these cases from those in recent years, the statement runs, lies in the fact that none of them had disappeared without traces; the fate of each of the kidnapped persons could be traced.

The HRC "Memorial" adds that President Mukhu Aliev has noted the "toughening of the stand" of mass media, human rights activists and all the Dagestan society towards kidnappings of people by "persons in camouflage". For investigation of the criminal cases, connected with kidnappings, and holding checks of these messages, the Prosecutor's Office of the republic of Dagestan has set up an interdepartmental investigatory-operative group.

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