Dagestan militiamen demand dismissal of Bastrykin, ICPO boss

The independent trade union of law enforcers and prosecutors of Dagestan made a decision at its assembly to address a letter to President of Russia Dmitri Medvedev and Chairman of the Council of Federation of the Russian Federal Assembly Sergey Mironov. In their letter Dagestan power agents ask to consider impossibility for Alexander Bastrykin to stay in the post of the head of the Investigatory Committee at the Prosecutor's Office (ICPO) of Russia.

Magomed Shamilov, chairman of the union, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that the initiative stems from Bastrykin's offer to take fingerprints DNA assays from all the residents of Northern Caucasus.

"We're Russians, just like citizen Bastrykin, and we deserve same attitude like any other Russian. The crisis of the state is not in financial problems, but in moral problems, conflicts with the law in those called to personify it," said Mr Shamilov.

One of the participants of the event - Militia Lieutenant-Colonel Magomed Guseinov, deputy head of PSMR-1 (Patrol-Sentry Militia Regiment), - said that Bastrykin's offer can instigate growth of interethnic tension.

In his opinion, the federal power should react to statements of the high-ranking official of the Prosecutor's Office.

The statement of the union also expresses discontent with the work of the former Public Prosecutor of Dagestan Igor Tkachov.

The participants of the meeting believe that "the personnel decisions, even with obvious preferences by national or religious attributes, are the responsibility of the State Office of Public Prosecutor. However, Bastrykin's public statements are not his personal business."

Nizam Radzhabov, deputy head of the press service of the Prosecutor's Office of Dagestan, refused to comment on the initiative of his colleagues and said that for this purpose one should address to Moscow, to the press service of the State Office of Public Prosecutor of Russia.