Panteleichuk: Ismajlov, detained in Kislovodsk, had been earlier ordered to leave KMV

The Islamic scholar Kurman Ismajlov, in whose power agents had earlier found an object looking like a piece of explosive, had earlier been abducted; kidnappers took him to the forest and demanded by threats that he left the region named Kavkazskie Mineralnye Vody (KMV - Caucasian Mineral Waters). This was reported by human rights activist Rikhard Panteleichuk.

"When they were detaining Kurman, I was, unfortunately, out of town; so, I had to consult him by telephone," Rasul Kubanov told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent yesterday, on April 28.

"The suspicious object was found in the hallway, in the purse of Ismajlov's pregnant wife. Apparently, the object looked like a potato - it could be heard over the phone, since operative agents discussed it. Ismajlov's wife took it with her hands and immediately threw away with a cry. Unfortunately, Ismajlov also touched it. However, the arriving dog handlers-explosive experts cut a piece of the object and said it was unlikely an explosive; it looked more like some putty," said Kubanov.

"Besides, according to Kurman, in the course of the search several operative agents stayed for some time in the hallway alone. Kurman himself and his wife deny that they had anything to do with that object," said Kubanov.

Recently, according to Kubanov, a similar case was in Kislovodsk. "It seemed like the explosive had been planted; the man was convicted and imprisoned. His wife then called and said that the explosive was found under the bathtub. But the man refused from the services of a lawyer," said Kubanov, without specifying details of the incident.

In his opinion, now we see another wave of anti-Muslim campaign held by power structures of the region. "As reported by suspects or their relatives, the campaign is of clearly custom character. It stated some time ago; then stopped; and now it began again. People are detained; their relatives are not informed; explosives are planted almost under gas stoves," said the lawyer.

Rikhard Panteleichuk, a human rights activist and an expert of the Moscow Helsinki Group on issues of conscience and head of the independent human rights initiative "Project Kovcheg", argues that he knows Ismajlov as a man not inclined to any unlawful actions.

"I believe that he is a Salafi in the best sense of the word. He keeps away from any politics, let alone any warfare," said the human rights activist.

According to his story, some time ago Kurman Ismajlov sent him his appeal to Islamic extremists, which he wrote after another terror act, and asked to circulate it among Moscow mass media.

"In that appeal Ismajlov was referring to the Koran, and he's a brilliant Islamic scholar, and justified complete unacceptability of extremism as a method to pursuit Islamic ideals. I honestly fulfilled his request and sent his appeal to some 25 newspapers, but none of them published it, citing that it was "not their format," said Panteleichuk.

The human rights activist states that those Islamic figures, who are determined to orient their fellow parishioners towards peaceful coexistence and complete rejection of extremism, are, in fact, harassed by power agents.

"Anton Stepanenko held two conferences on the topic 'Islam against terror'; and then he was arrested and repressed. Moreover, we know that earlier there were attempts to exert pressure on Kurman Ismajlov - he was kidnapped, taken to the forest, threatened and ordered to leave the region. I think that certain power circles want to enforce Ismajlov's departure from the KMV," said Rikhard Panteleichuk.

"They'd better switchover from people that they do not like for whatever reasons to real extremists who blow up bombs and commit terror acts. I know that power structures allocate internal grants on combating extremism. Perhaps it is a financial motive for this kind of tendency to maintain a 'controlled emergency'. After all, if it turns out that the situation has ceased to be emergent, financial flows feeding these power structures may decrease," said the human rights activist.

Law enforcement bodies are not yet available for comments; and the "Caucasian Knot" continues monitoring the situation.