In Dagestan, Mukhu Aliev treats the ban of "Nord-Ost" play as provocation

Today, President of Dagestan Mukhu Aliev, speaking to a specially convoked press conference, has categorically refuted the information that he had given instructions to ban the second performance of the play "All in Your Hands", staged on the motives of the tragic events that took place in the Dubrovka Theatrical Centre in Moscow.

"The ban of the performance is a provocation or bungling of the Republic's Culture Minister," President of Dagestan said. "I gave no instructions to ban the performance."

Mukhu Aliev has stated that the actors, in his opinion, were not bad. "After the performance, journalists asked me about my impressions. I said that as a whole I didn't like the play because it made heroes out of terrorists and bandits. But I repeat, this is my private opinion," President of Dagestan Mukhu Aliev said.

According to Mr Aliev, Culture Minister Zumrud Suleimanova was present during his conversation with journalists after the first night, and President expressed his remarks to her.

"I said that our Russian Drama Theatre had passed through, together with all residents of Dagestan, all the trials related to terrorism," Mukhu Aliev explained. "Terrorists have killed more our people than during the "Nord-Ost" events. Therefore, I think that the topic should be treated more critically than it was done by the stage manager."

The President of Dagestan has stated that the play "tried to implant the feeling of everyone's guilt into the people."

"But I couldn't imagine that a stupid idea to ban the play can arrive to someone's head, moreover, the tickets have been sold," Mukhu Aliev said. "Naturally, there should be no censorship. However, with account of the audience, the Culture Minister should have watched the play on such topic of the day, maybe something should have been changed in the staging."

The Ministry of Culture of Dagestan evaded from any comments on the situation with the ban on the play.