Dagestan: two protesters against mobilization fined

After an anti-mobilization action held in Makhachkala, Magomed Ubaidulaev and Murat Aligadjiev were accused of using violence against a law enforcer, but their defence succeeded in reclassifying the criminal case and imposing a court fine on both of them.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on September 25 and 26, 2022, large-scale actions against mobilization were held in Makhachkala, which ended in mass detentions. At least 148 people were found guilty of administrative offenses. At least 20 criminal cases were opened against protesters for the use of violence against policemen, the Human Rights Watch reported this January. Adam Gadjiev, one of the protesters, was sentenced to 1.5 years in custody.

Magomed Ubaidulaev and Murat Aligadzhiev were fined by 15,000 roubles each under the article on causing minor bodily harm, the human rights project "OVD-Info"* has reported.

Both men were initially accused of using violence against a state official. Investigators claimed that they had inflicted "multiple blows" on the police lieutenant.

The defendants explained that at the rally on September 25, 2022, they heard the cry of a girl from whom a certain man had snatched her phone. They took away the phone from him and returned it to the girl, and later it turned out that the thief of the phone was a law enforcer in civilian clothes.

*Included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) into the register of foreign agents.