In Dagestan, Muslims complain of police harassment

As reported by Nurullah Abdullaev, 20, a resident of the city of Dagestanskie Ogni, Dagestan, local law enforcers persecute Muslims on religious grounds. So far, the police make no comments on this information.

"Once you start praying, strictly follow Islamic canons and bear a beard - get ready for troubles with the police. They will start calling you to illegal interrogations, take your photos and fingerprints, make searches without witnesses, beat you and plant firearms on you with subsequent detention. Muslims are harassed; they have to pay bribes to be left alone. In particular, on April 24, they detained Seifuddin Babaev, 51; he was beaten; and they planted firearms on him; but after giving a bribe, he was released," Nurullah Abdullaev told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Abdullaev said that he had similar problems. "I just started praying and grew a beard; an immediately policemen frequented to us. They told me and my mother that they didn't like my new lifestyle and said that only Wahhabis behave like that; then, they join militants or start helping them," said Abdullaev, who added that he and his mother are frightened; and he was hiding at his friend's place in fear of persecutions by the police.

Ruslan Orudjev, a resident of Makhachkala has also confirmed Abdullaev's words. "I'm a supplier of halal sausage to Dagestan from Rostov-on-Don. I've got clients in Dagestanskie Ogni. As soon as I drove into the city, local policemen immediately detained me because of my beard. They searched me on the spot; then brought me to the police station. There, I was photographed, fingerprinted and put into the database of 'Wahhabis'. I'm a former policeman and worked in Rostov-on-Don; but nobody interfered with my life there; nobody prevented me to pray, and nobody ever found fault with my appearance," said Orudjev, in whose opinion such actions of Dagestani power agents only push people towards the armed underground.

The on duty unit of the GOVD (Chief Interior Division) of Dagestanskie Ogni refused to comment residents' complaints, saying that only their boss can give comments, but he was absent.