HRC members debate with authorities on Dagestani "prophylactic register"

In the presence of the head of Dagestan, members of the Presidential Human Rights Council (HRC) entered into a dispute with the head of the republic's Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) and a Vice-Premier, stating the need to abandon the practice of persecuting for the dissent. Residents of Dagestan complained to rights defenders about the practice of running the "prophylactic register".

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that from May 30 to June 9 members of the HRC are visiting the North-Caucasian Federal District (NCFD).

On May 31, the main topic of the meeting with the head of Dagestan Ramazan Abdulatipov was the practice of putting residents of the republic on the "prophylactic register", said Elena Masyuk, a member of the HRC.

However, Abdurashid Magomedov, the head of the Dagestani MIA, expressed his disagreement with rights defenders' estimates on the issue, the "Kommersant" reports.

The minister insisted on the legality of this practice in combating terrorism, referring to some "normative acts of the MIA." Rights defenders insisted that "power agents use prophylactic registration instead of their operative actions" and "it results in depriving people of their civil rights."

The tough polemics with the MIA boss moved into a dialogue in raised voice with Vice-Premier Ramazan Djafarov; and the head of Dagestan Ramazan Abdulatipov had to interfere into the situation, the "Kommersant" reports.

According to Natalia Evdokimova, a member of the HRC, in total, from 6 to 10 thousand citizens of Dagestan are on the "prophylactic register".

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