Rights activists recall activist Ataev's fight against election frauds in Dagestan

The case against Eduard Ataev, a Dagestani activist, was fabricated; it has to do with his active struggle for compliance with the law at all election levels, activists and journalists have stated after human rights defenders recognized Ataev as a political prisoner.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Eduard Ataev, a former coordinator of the Navalny*'s office in Makhachkala had been accused of possessing a grenade and narcotic drugs. In November 2023, he was sentenced to 6.5 years in penal colony. The human rights project "Support for political prisoners. Memorial" declared Ataev as a political prisoner.

Eduard Ataev became known primarily for his fight against election frauds, not only in Dagestan, but also beyond its borders. "During the elections of the State Duma MPs in 2016, Eduard showed himself to be an active defender of electoral rights, having recorded the total falsification of the voting outcomes at a polling station in Dagestan," Andrei Buzin, a co-founder of the "Golos" movement**, has explained.

Andrei has added that Ataev took an active part in defending the electoral rights of one of the candidates from the "Yabloko" Party, who was in fact forced to refuse nomination. "Ataev acted heroically, since he honestly tried to achieve the truth by legal means and constantly encountered active opposition from the entire state machinery, especially from law enforcers," he has stated.

Ruslan Akhalchi, the coordinator of the "Dagestan Observers" movement, has called Ataev an honest and principled person.

Vladimir Sevrinovsky, a journalist, treats Ataev as an idealist. "I don't doubt for a second that he couldn't have had any drugs or weapons," he has noted.

Idris Yusupov, another journalist, has emphasized that Ataev's steadfastness commands respect. He has added that even in custody, Eduard Ataev tried to continue his public activities.

*Navalny's offices were recognized as extremist organizations and banned in Russia. Alexei Navalny was a founder of the Anti-Corruption Foundation (known as FBK), an NCO that was included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) into the register of NCOs performing functions of a foreign agent. The NCO was also recognized by a court as extremist and banned in the territory of Russia.

**On August 18, 2021, the "Golos" (Vote) all-Russian public movement in defence of voters' rights was included in the new register of unregistered public associations performing the functions of a foreign agent. The movement's website is blocked in Russia.