Kurbanov: the Ministry of Interior Affairs of Dagestan rejects negotiation with the gunmen who wish to lay down arms

Part of the management of the Ministry of Interior Affairs of Dagestan sticks to an erroneous point of view considering a peaceful dialogue with members of paramilitary groups wishing to lay down arms “none of their business”, Rizvan Kurbanov, Head of Committee for adaptation of gunmen in Dagestan, Deputy Chairman of Committee for constitutional legislation and state development of State Duma of the Russian Federation, said in an exclusive interview for the “Caucasian Knot”.

On February, 21, the first session this year of the Committee for aid in adaptation to peaceful life to the persons who decided to stop terrorist and extremist activities in the territory of Dagestan was held in Makhachkala. During the session four requests from local residents out of nine were granted.

Decisions of the Committee on the appeals passed in a closed regime without the presence of mass media. Chairman of the Committee Rizvan Kurbanov reported some details of the discussion in his interview to the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent.

Rizvan Kurbanov said that five participants of paramilitary groups whose appeals were dismissed, in the opinion of some members of the Committee, “were not quite frank”. However, they will be given a chance to appeal to the Committee once again when investigation is accomplished and before their cases are referred to court.

”Representatives of enforcement agencies spoke against five motions. In reply to my question what the personnel of the Ministry of Interior Affairs of Dagestan were doing in order to take the participants of paramilitary groups out of the forest First Deputy Minister of Interior Affairs Vasily Salutin said: “This is none of our business”. I reminded him the idea of President of the Russian Federation Medvedev who said that “it is much better to have a religious dialogue or even dispute sitting at one table then to do in with the help of guns”, Rizvan Kurbanov said.   

In Rizvan Kurbanov’s opinion, those who refuse to negotiate with the gunmen preferring arms to a dialogue are out of place in power ministries.

The Chairman of the Committee said that there were cases when gunmen surrendered during special operations.

The “Caucasian Knot” has yet no comments from Vasily Salutin himself of the Ministry of Interior Affairs of Dagestan concerning the information made public by Rizvan Kurbanov.