Muslims subject to abuse in Dagestan

Amir Abuyev, resident in Makhachkala, Dagestan, and his four guests were detained by officers of the Sovetskii District Division of Internal Affairs of the capital city last Friday, 16 December. The ground for such radical measures, as one of the law enforcers said, was a complaint by Mr Abuyev's neighbours who alleged that "religious extremists" gathered at his place.

A search of Mr Abuyev's place led to seizure of religious literature by Said Nursi, a well-known Turkish theologian. The Dagestani investigators considered this literature "Wahhabi" though.

At the internal affairs division, the detainees were subjected to a very peculiar interrogation. In particular, one of the investigators kept on asking "why they don't commit adultery like all normal people."

In a conversation with Islam-Info news agency, Mr Amir Abuyev said that the leaderships of the Internal Affairs Ministry of Dagestan and the Sovetskii District Prosecutor's Office of Makhachkala did not wish to examine the legality of the actions of the law enforcement agencies.

Mr Abuyev is by far not alone in his ordeal though. Officers of the same internal affairs division detained Ms Karina Dadayev, resident in Makhachkala, and her friend, illegally and in a rude manner, on 10 December. For seven hours they were kept at the division. In reply to their requests to answer what they were charged with, they heard obscenities and threats like "if you don't shut up, you'll get lost in Khankala."

In Ms Dadayev's opinion, the reason for her persecution is that she accurately observes Islamic canons, including wearing of a burqa. Meanwhile, the detention was not registered in the Sovetskii division in any way. Because of inactivity on the part of local authorities, both Mr Abuyev and Ms Dadayev have already filed complaints to federal structures and President Vladimir Putin of Russia personally.

Earlier, Mr Sergei Pigarev (he took the Muslim name Sirazhuddin when he adopted Islam in 2004) had had to spend seven months in Temporary Detention Isolator No 1 in Makhachkala.

Mr Pigarev was released right in the courtroom a couple of days ago. He was acquitted because no crime was established in his actions.

"First, they called me for 'prophylactic conversations' to the Kirovskii District Division of Internal Affairs where they offered me 'mutually advantageous cooperation' which consisted in reporting on visitors to Makhachkala mosques," Mr Pigarev told Islam-Info. "I refused to do so. Then a bomb and a plastic explosive were planted on me and I was kept in the torture chambers several months, charged with preparing a blast of the governmental complex in Lenin St in the capital of Dagestan."

"What has happened is a clear and menacing message to anyone else who would like to become Muslim," the Russian Muslim said.

"If I drank hard, led a depraved life, or joined a Christian or other sect, could anything like this happen to me? The answer is obvious," Mr Pigarev said with conviction.

Another Russian who adopted Islam (his Muslim name is Abdurrahman) was acquitted in Dagestan in November. He had been charged with illegal storage of arms. An investigation had established that the arms had also been planted on him.