Dagestan: defence of volunteers of "Be Merciful" Fund claim abuse of police powers

In Dagestan, the advocates of the volunteers of the Charity Fund "Be Merciful", arrested for three days for disobedience to the police, claim abuse of powers by policemen of Khasavyurt towards the girls-volunteers and their advocate Musa Abdulkadirov. They sent this information to the Prosecutor's Offices of Khasavyurt and Dagestan.

According to Sadiyat Arslanova, one of the arrested activists, after their detention on May 7, the women were interrogated by the police all night: "They shouted at us, threatened and didn't allow calling our relatives. They were highly annoyed that we know our rights."

In the morning on May 8, the activists were taken to the court. "The prosecutor asked to fine us, but the judge appointed an arrest," said Arslanova.

She added that they would appeal against the court ruling. "If these facts are left without consequences, they will treat other people in the same manner," said a volunteer.

The judge should not have arrested the mother of minor children, said Mansur Selikhanov, the lawyer for the volunteers.

"An administrative arrest is an exceptional measure. Abakarova has three small children; the youngest is just 10 months old," Selikhanov told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent, treating the court ruling as "obviously illegal."