Muslim opposition problem farmed out to law enforcement agencies - Dorogova

Larissa Dorogova has been a member of the Kabardino-Balkar Bar since 1980. She represents the Muslim oppositional in Kabardino-Balkaria and the mothers and widows of those killed on 13 October.

Larissa Dorogova is Muslim and she wears a hijab. In 2002, she performed hajj.

Before the 13 October 2005 events in Nalchik, Larissa Dorogova had also defended Muslims and applied to various jurisdictions with statements of their groundless persecution. In particular, in behalf of 400 Muslims she had prepared an application to the government for permission to emigrate from Russia.

Later, together with lawyers Irina Komisarova and Inna Golitsyna, she was removed from defence of those detained on suspicion of attacking law enforcement and security agencies in the republic, as ordered by the investigation. The lawyers appealed this decision in a court of law, but the court sustained it.

Larissa Dorogova agreed to answer several questions in an interview for Caucasian Knot.

Caucasian Knot: How can you describe the situation in Kabardino-Balkaria presently?

Larissa Dorogova: To my mind, the situation remains strained. The information verbalised at a recent meeting of the Board of Kabardino-Balkaria's Internal Affairs Ministry seems to prove that. I mean the intention of law enforcement agencies to continue to use repressive mechanisms for solving the Muslim problem. I believe the situation is being deliberately escalated when statements are made about preparations for terrorist acts against civilians and this is linked to Islam.

CK: Do you think there is no such threat?

L.D.: I think that as long as there are forces willing to destabilise the situation in the North Caucasus, there is always such a threat. And it is quite another matter that measures should be taken not to provide such a ground inside, which means that dialogue should be established with Muslims in Kabardino-Balkaria and the problem of oppositional jamaats (societies — Caucasian Knot) should be solved in a political way, by means of constructive dialogue, not with fire and sword. After all, these are live people, they have families, children. Why, they are our people!

So far, the problem has been farmed out to law enforcement and security agencies and they have only one method — brute force.

In the opinion of the Muslims whom I represent, the reason for what happened on 13 October is that for a long time they had been subject to groundless persecution, physical and moral humiliation, and sophisticated and cynical torture in a form which not every man, less so a highlander, can speak about out loud.

Unfortunately, nothing has improved in the attitude towards Muslims in the republic in spite of the tragedy that happened.

No one wants to undertake problem solution. Muslims and the Internal Affairs Ministry continue to face each other like two enemies.

CK: What about giving out the killed men's bodies?

L.D.: Relatives of those killed have applied to all possible jurisdictions with a request of giving out the bodies for burial, but it appears that no one hears or wants to hear them. The formal answers addressed to the relatives read that the issue of giving out the bodies will be decided on when the investigation is over and the involvement of each of them is established.

As a lawyer, I understand that there is a law on terrorism, but, firstly, the article about not giving out terrorists' bodies contradicts the nation's Constitution and, secondly, is it really worthwhile appealing to this law which I believe needs more consideration when stability and peace in the republic are much more important? After all, laws are violated here, there and everywhere when the government wants that.

CK: What are the relatives of the killed men and you as a lawyer going to do in the future?

L.D.: The relatives of the killed men have lost confidence in everything. They do not believe that they can prove anything. They are also subject to repressions. Here is one fact, for example. The children of the killed Muslims have been denied survivors pensions. I would like to ask: what is there to blame on the children? And how should they live?

Considering all this, a group of relatives have decided to leave the country and emigrate to any part of the world where personal and human rights and liberties are respected at least a little bit and where they will be received. This is a very sad fact, but they see no other way out. They understand that their children and grandchildren will never be full citizens. I support them in this decision and I will help them in putting this plan into practice as much as I can.

• People continue to disappear in Kabardino-Balkaria