Journalist claims law enforcers' unjustified toughness during dispersing rally in Makhachkala

Law enforcers have used excessive harshness while detaining protesters in Makhachkala, where on September 26 opponents of the mobilization gathered. The detainees spent the whole night at the police station in unfit custody conditions, sleeping while sitting; and even a pregnant woman was left there for the night, Idris Yusupov, a journalist has informed.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on September 26, in Makhachkala, where the participants of an anti-mobilization action gathered, a mass brawl broke out. It also became known about the detention of Idris Yusupov, a "Novoye Delo" journalist, and Sergey Ainbinder, the editor-in-chief of the "RusNews" outlet, who stated that he had been beaten up, and his equipment was broken.

On September 26, Idris Yusupov went to the venue of a weekly action in support of the journalist, Abdulmumin Gadjiev. After the action was over, he went to the central square of Makhachkala, where protesters against the mobilization later gathered.

According to Idris, a few hours after the detentions, they released all the minors from the police station, but the rest detainees, including the women, among whom a pregnant woman was, were left in custody.

At the station, there were no due conditions for the detainees – they were placed in the assembly hall of the station, outdoors and on the floors of the building. "All the time, people were on their feet. There were no conditions in the station ... People had to sleep sitting or lying on benches. About 30 people slept in the prayer room of the station; there was no free space there," Mr Yusupov has stated. There were mostly young guys and a few girls among the detainees.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on September 27, 2022 at 09:06 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.