Garun Kurbanov killed in Dagestan

The assassination of Garun Kurbanov, Chief of the Information Policy of the Dagestani President, was, most likely, caused by his uncompromising attitude towards extremists. This was reported by Rasul Khaibullaev, Press Secretary of the President of Dagestani. Gadjimurat Kamalov, the editor-in-chief of the independent newspaper "Chernovik" (Draft), shares this attitude.

Garun Kurbanov was killed today at 8:15 a.m. on Montasheva Street in the city of Makhachkala. Unidentified persons shelled the official's car Toyota Camry when he left the house and went to his car. Garun Kurbanov and his driver died. The attackers were recorded by a video camera.

According to Gadjimurat Kamalov, the founder of the popular Dagestani independent newspaper "Chernovik", the assassination could also be caused by Garun Kurbanov's uncompromising attitude towards the radicals. "We should understand that he was a prominent public figure. A doctor by his profession, Garun Kurbanov came into politics with the beliefs of a categorical atheist. At the post of the Minister for Nationalities he showed flexibility in international relations, did not conflict with the communists, but sharply criticized the religious radicals," Gadjimurat Kamalov said.

According to Kamalov, the circumstances of the assassination showed aggressive impudence of the attackers. "The secret services act quite different, and the incident was a demonstrative assassination. The attackers did not hide their faces, and, after shooting the car, they did not throw away their guns, but sat in their car and drove away quietly. There were no masks, no rush, and no conspiracy. The assassination was committed defiantly and provocatively."

Today the body of the assassinated official was brought to Garun Kurbanov's native village of Kunki of Dakhadai District, where the burial would take place. Almost all the republic's leadership arrived to Garun Kurbanov's funeral.