Gannushkina: power agents would not negotiate with blocked Dagestanis

Employees of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" assert that FSB agents were extremely unwilling to contact human rights defenders during a special operation in Dagestan, where Makhmud Mansur, Abdurakhman Magomedov and their relatives were blocked in one of the houses in Makhachkala.

On May 18, in Makhachkala, power agents blocked a house in Yubileinaya Street with Makhmud Mansur, a suspect of organizing the terror act on May 3, and six other persons inside. In the morning on May 19, a fight burst out in the blocked house.

Prior to the fight, six persons left the house. Three women, two children and the alleged militants' accomplice Abdurakhman Magomedov came out as a result of the negotiations with the power agents who blocked the house, the RIA "Dagestan" reports; they were brought to one of the divisions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) for questioning.

"We heard talks by speakerphone; negotiations were constantly held both by human rights activists and by relatives – they all expressed their desire to quit the house. They began taking them out one by one at about half past five in the morning. Makhmud Mansur was the last one; and power agents would not let him out, saying that he needed a human rights activist. Then suddenly there was a grenade explosion, and shooting began," Elena Denisenko, the representative of the HRC "Memorial" in Dagestan, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. According to her story, Makhmud Mansur was shot dead after power agents rushed into the house.

Human rights activists also told about the negotiations with the people blocked in the house. "We contacted them in order to convey the desire of the republic's authorities that the people came out of the house and let out women and children," said Svetlana Gannushkina.

At the same time, as she said, all the parties, except power agents, agreed to talk to human rights defenders. Thus, the head of the republic Magomedsalam Magomedov had guaranteed that people could go out freely, while at the same time, "the commander of the operation said opposite things," the "Echo Moskvy" Radio quoted Ms Gannushkina earlier.

Immediately after the end of the operation, the Russian National Antiterrorist Committee (NAC) reaffirmed that according to operative data, Makhmud Mansur was involved in the double terror act in Makhachkala on May 3, which killed 13 persons.

Makhmud Mansur had stated that he was not involved in the terror act. "I had nothing to do with the terror act on May 3; and I have an alibi – I wasn't on that day in Makhachkala," Makhmud Mansur said at night on May 19 in his telephone conversation with the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.