Residents of Vremenny village claim law enforcers destroy household structures

In the village of Vremenny of the Untsukul District of Dagestan, law enforcers used heavy vehicles to destroy facilities for livestock and garden plots where villagers were cultivating crops for personal needs. This has been told today to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent by a woman from the village of Vremenny.

"The solders use heavy vehicles to purposefully destroy cattle barns and garden plots, i.e., all that we have created over many years. They refuse to explain their actions. People who wanted to prevent the action received open threats," the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told by a woman from the village of Vremenny, who preferred to remain anonymous.

According to the woman, the Internet connections in the village do not work, and the soldiers take away the mobile phones of residents, who try to make photos and videos of the ongoing situation in the village.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on September 18, Vremenny was blocked by law enforcers and militaries. On September 19, they began inspecting household by household and check everybody living there; and at night on September 23, gunfire was heard for about three hours. As reported on September 24, by a woman from Vremenny, almost all the men were taken to the neighbouring village of Gimry under the pretext of identification; the school and kindergarten were closed; the movement in the settlement was restricted; and many locals' houses were searched. On September 28, according to locals, law enforcers offered residents of Vremenny to leave their settlement, however the residents refused to do it, fearing for their property.

It should be noted that on September 26, according to the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial", the law enforcers refused to let human rights defenders who were trying to meet the local residents to enter the village.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.