In Makhachkala, owners of blocked flat deny acquaintance with detained Khizriev

Nurmagomed Khizriev, who has surrendered today to law enforcers, did not know the owners of the flat, locked in Makhachkala; they just let him in for the night on recommendation of their friend, said Gulnara Rustamova, the chair of the Dagestani public organization "Pravozaschita" (Advocacy).

Today at about 7:00 a.m. Moscow time, power agents blocked a flat at No. 46 A in Laptiev Street in Makhachkala. According to their version, Nurmagomed Khizriev, born in 1992, who was on the federal search list, was hiding there. The young man, as reported by law enforcers, surrendered after negotiations.

Gulnara Rustamova was informed about the blocking of No. 46A in Laptiev Street by Patimat Mirzaeva, whose parents and brother live in this house. "Patimat told me that the house, where her parents and brother live, was surrounded by power agents, who want to start a special operation," said Rustamova.

According to her story, she managed to contact by phone Patimat Mirzaeva's mother. "She said that at about 6:00 a.m. a neighbour called at the door and said that a special operation would be held in the house. All the tenants were taken out into the yard. She woke up everyone who was at that time was in the house – her husband Gadjiabakar Mirzaev, her son Arsen Mirzaev and the above Nurmagomed. Some Arsen's friend had asked him to take Nurmagomed in for the night, as he had nowhere to go; and he had stayed for the night," said the chair of the "Pravozaschita".

Patimat Mirzaeva, according to her story, tried to leave the apartment, but the door was already blocked. Then the woman called her daughter and told her about what happened.

When human rights activists arrived in the Reduktorny Township of Makhachkala, the house was already cordoned off by power agents. "Some ten minutes later, law enforcers came up to us and said that all had surrendered. The last guy who stayed in the house – Nurmagomed – also rendered no resistance. The Lenin ROVD (District Interior Division), which geographically covers the address of the special operation, said that they did not keep the detainee," said Gulnara Rustamova.

Magomed Baachilov, Secretary of the Security Council at the President of the Republic of Dagestan, has confirmed that the special operation in Makhachkala was over. "It's not even a special operation, a suspect just surrendered there," said Mr Baachilov.