Dagestan: rights defenders raise issue of violence against lawyers

On October 26, Makhachkala will host a press conference on the topic "Incessant acts of violence against lawyers". The event is initiated by well-known local human rights activists, lawyers and journalists, said Svetlana Isaeva, chair of the human rights NGO "Mothers of Dagestan for Human Rights".

"Only this year, five lawyers were beaten; in four incidents law enforcers figured; Sergei Kvasov was beaten with clubs and rods by men in masks. This is unprecedented for the history of Dagestan; and, probably, of Russia too," Svetlana Isaeva told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

"What sort of legal state can we talk, when violence has reached the people who defend our right?" Svetlana asked and added that invitations to the press conference were sent to the Dagestani MIA and the Office of local Ombudsman.

Lawyer Salimat Kadyrova, one of the participants of the would-be event said that the increased violence against lawyers is largely caused by defence of different corporate interests.

"The first incident between a militiaman and a lawyer occurred in 2007. Then, the former struck the latter; later, the militiaman filed a complaint on the lawyer, who was ultimately found guilty by the investigators and the court. After that, the atmosphere of impunity and lawlessness manifested itself through regular beatings of lawyers," Ms Kadyrova said.

The press service of the Dagestani MIA refused to comment on the subject; the office of the Ombudsman said that so far they had not received the invitation to the press conference, noting, however, that the problem of violence is topical for the republic.