In Dagestan, relatives of missing persons are rallying

Today, relatives of Emirali Magomedov, 34, who is considered missing since August 17, have rallied in front of the building of the Derbent City ROVD (District Militia Division) to express their protest.

Emirali was the head of the technical service of the city communication centre; he has three minor children.

His wife Farida Magomedova has informed the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that in the morning her husband left for his work in his car. At 10 a.m. Mr Magomedov went from his office to examine the objects under his supervision. After that, communication with him was interrupted; he stopped answering telephone calls.

For the last time people saw Magomedov in the evening: he was driving his car; and unknown persons of athletic build could be seen beside him and on the back seat.

Farida Magomedova believes that her husband was kidnapped by power agents. She said that her husband's brother - Tagir Magomedov - was detained by local law enforcement bodies back in May, after cartridges and a grenade were planted into his apartment. Now, Tagir Magomedov is at large under recognizance not to leave.

Ms Magomedova said that in the last week 4 persons disappeared in Derbent, but she knew only about Ahmed Gasanov, who disappeared 8 days ago. The woman believes that power agents were involved in that disappearance either.

In her opinion, the kidnapped persons had a feature in common - they were practising Moslems, but they never had anything to do with the militia.

The Derbent ROVD and the press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Dagestan said that they knew nothing about the above disappearances.