Kagermanov: conflict with Khasavov has no connection with Chechen writer's creative work

Ahmat Kagermanov representing the Kagermanovs clan in Moscow states that the incident which took place on February, 28, in Tverskaya street had no connection with the creative work of young Chechen writer Arslan Khasavov.

According to Kagermanov, the reason of the incident was that the author of the article "It is not morning yet" made an abusive remark concerning a person whose memory was sacred for the Kagermanovs clan.

"The conflict that resulted in an assault at Arslan Khasavov had been developing for a long time", lawyer Dagir Khasavov, Arslan's father, thinks. He is convinced that "the starting point of the incident was the young Chechen writer's article "It is not morning yet".

"Everything started with the publication of the article "It is not morning yet", Arslan's father considers. - It was actively discussed in Braguni. There appeared some people who envied Arslan's creative progress and on every possible occasion attempted to hurt him. This was an ordinary jealousy for they did not wish him to be popular".

After Arslan Khasavov filed an anti-defamation lawsuit against Khoshbaudi Borhajiev, Chairman of the Journalists' Association of Chechnya, its detailed discussion started at the web-site Kumykia.ru, Dagir Khasavov says emphasizing that his son had taken no part in the controversy until the envious persons provoked his response.

"Then he posted a message to one of them: "I have nothing to discuss with you, thief's grandson and informant's relative", lawyer Khasavov acknowledges. Arslan's father asked his son why he had done so and demanded to remove the post from the forum immediately. Arslan explained that in this way he whished to make those people leave him alone, he just wanted no more contacts with them", Dagir Khasavov says.

According to his father, Arslan made his apology for what he had written and removed the post. "But it was not enough for these people, Khasavov thinks. - Two days later Arslan was beaten up".

Arslan himself produces no comments on the incident. "At this stage we decided that he should give no more interviews, - lawyer Khasavov explains the motives of his son's refusal. - Criminal proceedings have been started and Arslan has been acknowledged sufferer. My long-term advocatory practice gives me grounds to believe that both the organizer and the participant of the assault will have to bear responsibility for what they have done".

Ahmat Kagermanov representing the Kagermanovs clan in Moscow refused to comment on the incident explaining that the conflict involved the two families solely and he was not going to make it public. "The case concerns to the Khasavovs and us only and must be solved according to our adats", Ahmat Kagermanov says.

Kagermanov emphasizes that neither he nor members of has clan justify his relative's action understanding at the same time that he has done so because he had exhausted all the facilities of peaceful settlement of the conflict. "Not every person at his age would forgive an offence or would always be able to foresee legal consequence of a retaliatory blow. Memory of the ancestors is sacred for a Caucasian and those who forgot our traditions are unable to realize the gravity of the insult caused to our clan", Ahmat Kagermanov says.

"It is a pity that the conflict between natives of the same settlement has been reduced to an absurdity and most of the facts have been misrepresented, - a resident of the settlement of Braguni who wished to remain anonymous says. - Now maybe the Khasavovs will realize that one should be responsible for what one says and the father will teach his son to behave properly instead of using the situation in a selfish way presenting a domestic conflict as an attempt at the human rights activist and dissident because of his article "It is not morning yet", the resident of Braguni thinks.

Khoshbaudi Borhajiev, Editor-in-chief of the newspaper "Gums" has formerly stated that the reason of the Moscow incident was the young writer Khasavov's insult to Said-Salim Kagermanov, late resident of the settlement of Braguni.