Dagestan: colleagues of murdered lawyer claim investigators' inaction

Omar Sagidmagomedov, a member of the City Bar Association "Kavkaz", was murdered by power agents; however, the investigatory authorities are in no haste to investigate the criminal case instituted on the fact of the murder. This was reported by Sagidmagomedov's colleagues on February 29.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in the evening of January 20, in Makhachkala, in Kotrov Street, two persons were killed in shelling. One of the casualties had an ID of Omar Sagidmagomedov, a lawyer of the City Bar Association "Kavkaz". According to investigators, policemen had attempted to stop a VAZ-21014 passenger car, driven by Omar Sagidmagomedov, for checking. However, according to the investigators, a passenger opened fire on power agents, and they shot dead both of them by return fire.

Colleagues of Omar Sagidmagomedov have challenged the official version of the circumstances of the lawyer's death and conduct their own inquiry.

"In central Makhachkala, in the eyes of plenty of people, without any trial and investigation, power agents in masks shot dead two young men, one of whom was our colleague. And now, the investigatory bodies do not even try to reveal the truth. Otherwise, how can you explain the fact that till present the investigator hasn't even tried to summon the witnesses of the incident for questioning?" asked Magomed Guchuchaliev, the head of the Bar Association "Kavkaz" at the recent press conference held on February 29.

According to his story, the Bar members have photo and video materials, which refute the investigators' story.

Besides, Magomed Guchuchaliev told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that law enforcement officials "are working against the City Bar Association".

"At present, our Bar is the only structure in Dagestan and Russia, which strains diligent efforts in relation of the category of cases referred to the category of 'Wahhabism'. We do not go in line with the operative, investigatory and prosecution services and the judicial system. We call spade a spade; we raise issues of responsibility of specific officials for their abuses and atrocities. Naturally, power agents don't like our behaviour," stated Magomed Guguchaliev.

Earlier, the employees of the on duty unit of the Investigatory Department for Dagestan of the Investigatory Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF) refused to comment and said that the necessary investigatory actions on the case were underway.