Advocates criticize investigation into riots at Makhachkala airport

Most of those accused in criminal cases for participation in mass riots at an airport in Makhachkala have had their arrest periods extended until the end of March, while almost no investigative actions are being carried out, and a number of the arrestees are banned from being visited by their relatives and friends. Gerei Djamalutdinov, one of the arrested persons, claims that he was not at the Makhachkala airport, but the police forced him to incriminate himself. However, investigators do not verify the man’s alibi, report advocates and a member of the Public Oversight Commission of Dagestan.

Shamil Khadulaev, the deputy chair of the Public Oversight Commission (POC) of Dagestan, has told the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent that the exact number of detainees is unknown, but there are at least 120 of them. According to the Shamil Khadulaev’s report, the Dagestani POC received no complaints about pressure from those in custody.

“The only case is with Gerei Djamalutdinov. The man claims that he was not at the airport at all. However, he was taken to a police station, where they forced him to incriminate himself, promising that they would only impose a fine on him for ‘petty hooliganism.’ But finally, he also ended up in a SIZO (pre-trial prison),” Shamil Khadulaev explained.

Armail Gasanov, an advocate of Gerei Djamalutdinov, confirmed that his client was groundlessly charged under the article on mass riots (providing for three to eight years of imprisonment). “The man appeared to stay in the wrong place at the wrong time. He has an alibi. Gerei Djamalutdinov simply was not at the scene of the events at the airport,” Armail Gasanov stated.

The advocate has noted that investigators actually ignore the alibi and other defence arguments. Almost no investigative actions are carried out, and the courts are busy with only prolonging detentions of people, Armail Gasanov reports.