Activists considered Moscow's intervention a condition for the restoration of the Aukhovsky District.

The issue of restoring the Aukhovsky District cannot be resolved without the direct participation of the federal government, Chechens living in Dagestan suggested, commenting on an appeal to the Russian president.

As "Caucasian Knot" wrote, on December 16, A petition has been posted to Vladimir Putin asking him to complete the restoration of the Aukhovsky district of Dagestan. 1 As of 11:35 a.m. Moscow time on December 19, the petition had garnered 37 signatures.

The appeal to the president is related to the long-term stagnation in the restoration of the Aukhov district, the lack of real results, and people's mistrust of the authorities' statements, explained the initiator of the petition, Ibrahim Akhmedov told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

"The restoration of the Aukhovsky District has been stalled for years: formally, the process is ongoing, but in reality, the district has not been restored. The complete resettlement of Chechens has not occurred, the district's borders have not been formalized, and there are no unified, transparent statistics on resettlement, land allocation, and house construction. The incident with [the head of the Novolaksky District, Magomed-Gadzhi] Aidiev was the last straw—it only confirmed that this issue is not being addressed at the republican level," the activist said.

He believes the petition has few signatures because "people are tired and don't believe in results after decades of waiting." "There's also fear—not everyone wants to publicly engage on such a sensitive issue. Furthermore, the petition has barely been widely distributed, and many are initially skeptical of online appeals, not perceiving them as an effective tool," Akhmedov said.

He also believes that resolving the issue is impossible without federal involvement. "The Aukhovsky District has been discussed many times, including at the highest levels, but conversations don't translate into real decisions. The process is hampered by corruption, the disinterest of republican authorities, and the general ineffectiveness of officials. "The situation won't change without direct federal intervention. For people, this is no longer just a question of land or houses—it's a question of justice and the state fulfilling its obligations," Akhmedov concluded.

The Dagestani authorities have shown no interest in restoring the Aukhovsky District, but the situation can be influenced at the federal level, according to Umar, a representative of the Dagestani Chechens.

"Dagestani officials are not interested. I think Kadyrov could influence this through Putin," he told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

As a reminder, on September 29, 2017, a new program, "Resettlement of the Lak population of the Novolaksky District to a new place of residence and restoration of the Aukhovsky District," was adopted by decree of the Dagestani government. The program's implementation period is set for 2018-2025, although, according to the resolution, the program will be implemented in one phase.

In September 2024, Dagestani investigators suspected officials from the Novolaksky District of fraud in the registration of land plots. According to the Investigative Committee, district administration employees prepared false documents to transfer plots in the village of Novolakskoye to 40 residents who were not resettled.

Although the Investigative Committee stated that officials attempted to illegally transfer 40 land plots into private hands, in fact, such plots may be tens of times more, noted Arbi Batyrsultanov, Chairman of the Aukh Public Council.

In March 2024, residents of the village of Gamiyakh in the Novolaksky District called on the head of Dagestan to impose a moratorium on land privatization in the area where the Aukhovsky District is to be restored.