In Dagestan, militia detains and releases human rights activist

Today, Rasul Magomedov, a resident of Balakhani village, Untsukul District, a teacher of the local secondary school and a member of the human rights organization "Mothers of Dagestan for Human Rights", has stated that he was kept till late at night by militiamen in one of the rooms of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Dagestan without any explanations.

"I was at the morning pray in a mosque. My wife went out of the house, and at that moment law enforcers penetrated into the house of our son Ilyas. Having found nobody there, they took away his passport from the table. When I came back home, they told me that they would announce my son into all-Russian search, but didn't give any reasons," Mr Magomedov said.

Later, he was invited allegedly for a talk to the Untsukul ROVD (District Interior Division). "There I was told that the Minister of Internal Affairs of Dagestan wanted to personally talk to me. They put me into a car; and there militiamen told me that my son was suspected of taking part in the attack on a postal car in the Khunzakh District, from where about 4 million roubles were stolen. But my son did not leave the village on these days," said Rasul Magomedov.

In Makhachkala, he was put in a room of the MIA of Dagestan, where he was kept till late at night. "I was told all the time that the Minister was absent, and as soon as he came he would meet me," he continued.

He was released by midnight. "I lost the whole day, but nobody even apologized before me," said Mr Magomedov.

He said that his son was ready to meet anybody, but with granting the necessary guarantees.

The press service of the MIA of Dagestan reported that they knew nothing about the incident and added that the Minister was at his working place all these days.