Dagestani law enforcers set free detained local residents

Several dozens of people, who were kept in a division of a power structure in the Khasavyurt District, were released nine hours after detention, local residents have informed. The Dagestani Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) claims that none of these people was detained.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on September 6, the Imam from the village of Novosasitli and several dozens of local residents, dissatisfied with the decision to hand over the local madrasah to the Muftiate, came to the division of one of power structures and for a long time were kept there without food and water. Among the detainees, there was the author of the popular Telegram channel "Ask Rasul" and many elderly people, residents of Novosasitli reported.

One of the detainees has explained that the conflict broke out because of the building of the madrasah built by the Dagestan preacher Abu Umar of Sasitli. The Spiritual Administration of Muslims (SAM, or Muftiate) of Dagestan has claims for this building; and local residents had been informed that the decision to hand the madrasah over to the SAM was their collective decision.

Law enforcers arrived in Novosasitli before the Friday prayer and demanded from the Imam to go with them, said Ziyavutdin Uvaisov, an advocate.

According to a local resident, his fellow villagers were fingerprinted and photographed.