Dagestan: journalists and NGOs dissatisfied with Prosecutor's Office

On May 22, the participants of the roundtable on interaction of the Prosecutor's Office with mass media and public organizations sent their resolution to the State Office of Public Prosecutor of the Russian Federation, where they ask "to check the facts of non-fulfilment by the Prosecutor's Office of Dagestan of its functions and give legal and disciplinary estimate to the operation of the Republic's Office."

German Kostrov, head of the press service of the Supreme Court of Dagestan, said about a number of cases, when citizens were beaten by militiamen; however, despite numerous appeals to all instances, the Prosecutor's Office has failed to react yet.

Yusup Dzhakhbarov, Vice-President of the Bar of Dagestan, has stated that so far not a single case was initiated under the initiative of the Prosecutor's Office of Dagestan; it reveals initiative only in the interests of certain particular high-ranking officials. In Mr Dzhakhbarov's opinion, the role of Prosecutor's Office in defending human rights and the interests of the society is equal to zero.

Zarema Gasanova, a journalist of the RGVK "Dagestan", has stated that the Prosecutor's Office of Dagestan had long ago transformed into one of the departments of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA); Stalin's times are coming back.

The topic of the so-called "red advocates" was also raised: instead of protecting defendants' rights, they cooperate with investigatory bodies.