Woman from Dagestani Kizlyar complains of harassment by policemen

In Dagestan, Gulzhanat Guseinova, a resident of the farm of Ukrainskiyian, Kizlyar District, has stated that at night on September 10 her house was shelled by policemen.

"On that day, Hafsat Bagaeva with her three-year-old son Abdullah was my guest. My children - Patimat, 10, Khalimat, 8, and Magomed, 6, - were also at home. When we went out of the house to make ablution, a heavy fire was opened. We ran back into the house for our children, and began leaving the houses, shouting to them to cease firing, but nobody listened to us. At one moment the shooting stopped, then it started again; we had to crawl to our neighbours' house. From there, we saw from the windows that an ATC (armoured troop carrier) with an unjacketed machine gun drove up to our house," said the woman.

According to her story, then, policemen entered the house and were inside for about 30 minutes. "Early in the morning I went to my mother-in-law to Chernyaevka. My father-in-law went to my house and told me by telephone that everything was turned upside down; and nobody was there. When I got home, I saw that everything was broken down and ruined. Police stole money in the amount of 8000 roubles, a telephone, and Hafsat's 10,000 roubles and passport," said Guseinova.

She explained that the police had started persecuting her three years ago. "At that time I lost my husband; I don't know what happened to him; however, local policemen say that he had joined militants. They periodically come to make searches; however, they have no sanctions; they abuse me, use foul language; last year they burnt down my barn," said the woman.

She said that she had turned to the Dagestani Ombudsperson Umupazil Omarova and Gyulnara Rustamova, the leader of the human rights organization named "Pravozaschita" (Advocacy). Both bodies have confirmed the fact of Guseinova's appeals.

In its turn, the on duty of the Kizlyar ROVD (District Interior Division) told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that they knew nothing about the incident.