Supporters treat elections as reason for persecuting Murtazaliev and Vinogradov

The participants of the press conference in Makhachkala, convoked in support of Andrei Vinogradov, the head of the Kizlyar District of Dagestan, and Sagid Murtazaliev, the head of the republic's branch of the Russian Pension Fund (RPF), have treated the actions of power agents as a political order.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Vinogradov was detained at night on July 27; and on July 28 the Investigating Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF) reported that Vinogradov and his relative Sagid Murtazaliev are figurants in the case on several crimes. On July 29, the Basmanny Court of Moscow ruled to arrest Vinogradov. According to law enforcers, Murtazaliev is hiding in Dubai and will be announced wanted.

On July 29, supporters of Murtazaliev and Vinogradov held a rally of district activists in the village of Averyanovka, Kizlyar District, during which they spoke in their defence. The supporters expressed doubts about fair reasons for the prosecution. They also noted the contribution to the above two into fight against militants.

The press conference of supporters of Vinogradov and Murtazaliev was held in the editorial office of the "Chernovik" newspaper in Makhachkala. As stated by Akhmedpasha Amirilaev, one of the organizers and the chairman of the Public Council under the administration of the Kizlyar District, the participants of the press conference believe that the upcoming municipal elections in Dagestan had caused the prosecution of Vinogradov and Murtazaliev.

The experts, earlier interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot", have linked the prosecution of Vinogradov and Murtazaliev with the process of clearing off clans that is underway in Northern Caucasus.

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