In Makhachkala, 30 persons attend rally against arbitrariness of power agents

Today, Makhachkala hosted a rally against the arbitrariness of law enforcement agencies. The protest action was attended by 30 relatives of the kidnapped residents of Dagestan. At the end of the protest action, they have adopted a resolution that calls for the protection of their rights.

Let us remind you that organizers of the protest action hoped that today, about 500 persons would come to support them. The organizers of the protest action seek to draw attention of the public and the authorities of Dagestan to kidnappings, executions without trials, and use of unlawful measures by power agents.

"Participants of action passed through turnstile"

Today, the protest action took place in front of the Avar Theatre. No more than 30 women attended the event, and about 50 policemen guarded the protesters. Participants of the protest action had to pass through the turnstile to attend the rally.

A small number of participants can be explained by the fact that many people are intimidated. This was stated at the opening of the rally by Zhanna Ismailova. She said that her three sons were kidnapped in Dagestan.

"On May 8, two my sons Arslan and Rashid were kidnapped. Till present, we are not aware of Rashid's whereabouts. The kidnappers of Arslan, who introduced themselves as staff members of the FSB, released him on the same day' however, they tortured him and forced him to sign some documents. On June 23, policemen kidnapped my son Ruslan. Then, they said that he was detained. At present, he is in Vladikavkaz, and he is charged of some crimes; however, for some reason, the lawyer, whom I hired, is not allowed visiting him," Zhanna Ismailova says.

"The President is doing nothing to stop arbitrariness and lawlessness of power agents in Dagestan. Why is he keeping silence? With his silence, power agents commit atrocities against us and our children," Zhanna Ismailova stated.

Residents of Dagestan regularly complain about kidnappings and unlawful police harassment. In their turn, law enforcement agencies claim that all cases of abuse of power by power agents are appropriately investigated by the Prosecutor's Office of Dagestan, which takes measures of prosecutorial response.

"I appeal to different authorities"

Zoya Abdullaeva also delivered her speech at the rally. She states that in the morning of March 7, her sons Magomed and Abdulla Murtuzaliev left home and never returned.

"I appeal to different authorities; however, but the search did not succeeded. Everywhere I was asked whether my sons prayed. Yes, they did pray. And what does mean? Why did they disappear? Why no one can tell me where they are?" the woman expressed her indignation.

Burliyat Danilina, the mother of Timur Danilin, who was kidnapped on March 25, delivered her speech after Zoya Abdullaeva and said that her son was kidnapped on March 25.

"That evening, he called his wife and said that he escaped from policemen and that he was in the village of Novolak of the Khasavyurt District. He only had time to say that, and then he disappeared. We went there at once. In the village, witnesses told us that my son was taken by policemen to the police station; however, the policemen denied everything and said that they did not see my son," the participant of the protest action says.

During the rally, the similar situation was also reported by Azha Khappalaeva, a resident of Dagestan.

"On June 25, 2010, my son was kidnapped in Kaspiisk. I do not know for what reason he could be kidnapped. When I visited the FSB and asked that he might know someone, I was answered in the affirmative. However, we all know someone. And we cannot be responsible for others' actions," Azha Khappalaeva stated.

"In Dagestan, our rights are flouted and violated"

Salikhat Baisultanova, a resident of Khasavyurt, reported that the pregnant wife of her son was allegedly shot dead by staff members of the Special Fire Team of the Kazbek District and that they were not punished later.

Svetlana Alieva, a resident Kaspiisk, reported that her son Ruslan Medjidov was killed.

"Policemen state that my son was killed during the special operation, held on October 30 in the Tabasaran District. They state that he was allegedly killed by a grenade, which he wanted to throw to power agents and which exploded next to him. On October 27, my son was kidnapped in Kaspiisk. There are witnesses; however, they are afraid to talk openly about that. When I came to identify my son, his body did not look as if the grenade exploded next to him. His body had many wounds and bruises. He was tortured," Svetlana Alieva states.

At the end of the rally, the resolution of the protest action was read out. "The participants of the rally have to claim that in Dagestan, our rights are not protected, but, on the contrary, flouted and violated," the resolution of the protesters states.

Besides, the document also specifies the demands to the leader of Dagestan (to stop total flouting of the rights of the people of Dagestan), to the Prosecutor's Office (to perform the duties in control and supervision of law enforcement agencies and authorities), to the Investigatory Committee of the Russian Federation (to carry out objective and timely investigations into criminal cases). According to the organizers of the protest action, the resolution will be sent to law enforcement agencies and government agencies.