Dagestan is among five Russia's most protest regions

By the outcomes of 2023, Dagestan got into the rating of the "7x7"* outlet of the Russian regions whose residents most often expressed their protest to authorities through organized and spontaneous actions.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that during 2023, residents of Makhachkala repeatedly held spontaneous actions, protesting against lengthy electricity outages. Thus, in August 2023, local residents blocked motor traffic in Semender settlement and in Gamidov Street, after which authorities reported that power supplies had been restored. In December, residents of the Separatorny dwelling settlement resorted to blocking the road due to a power outage; according to their stories, there was no power in their houses for four days, and only after the protest action did "power workers began moving."

Based on the 2023 outcomes, the "7x7-Horizontal Russia"* outlet, which collects information about protests, has posted its rating of the seven most protest Russia's regions. In 2023, residents of different Russian regions staged at least 420 actions, from rallies to mass petitions, dedicated to problems "in housing and communal services, medicine, ecology, politics and other areas," says the outlet's post in its Telegram channel.

The above seven most protest regions include only one region of Southern Russia – Dagestan. It took the fifth place: no less than 18 actions were recorded there during the year.

"Dagestanis blocked roads several times due to power and water supply outages. In October, they staged mass riots at the airport in support of Palestine in the war with Israel," the authors of the rating have explained.

Besides, in December, at least one resident of Makhachkala was fined for protesting against the demolition of her house. The court found Khadizhat Salmanova guilty of disobeying the police.

The "Caucasian Knot" wrote about protests in Dagestan in 2022 as well. In September 2022, large-scale protests against mobilization were held in Makhachkala, which ended in mass arrests. Law enforcers then also detained the journalists covering the protests.

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