Dagestan: residents of Sergokala District protest against actions of special agencies

At night of February 16, several thousands of inhabitants of the Sergokala District of Dagestan blocked the "Kavkaz" Federal Highway in the vicinity of Izberbash city. The picketers demanded to punish the employees of law enforcement bodies who heavily wounded, on the previous day, February 15, in the course of their counterterrorist operation, a local resident named Bashir Magomedov, 24, having initially blamed him to be a militant.

Several hours later, after negotiations with the officials, the protesters unblocked the highway, but the rally moved to the settlement of Sergokala - District capital.

Khamis Kaipova, mother of the wounded Bashir Magomedov, now treated at the resuscitation ward, said that on that day she went, together with her sons and other villagers, to the forest where they gather ramsons for sale, since for many of them this is the only sustenance.

"Having heard the noise of helicopters, I got frightened and told children to go home," said Ms Kaipova. "My sons only had bags with ramsons in hands; when they saw special fighters, they started crying: 'Don't shoot, we're peaceful residents!', but they opened fire."

A Sergokala resident told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that on that day about 15 local residents were gathering ramsons in the forest.

"When we wanted to help Bashir Magomedov, when he was wounded, the militaries (people in uniform, they could be either MIA or FSB special agents, - comment of the "Caucasian Knot") would not let it," said the resident. "Besides, they took away all the mobile phones."

Sergokala residents say that special fighters could take local residents for militants, as they wear camouflage clothes. "When we go to the forest for ramsons, we always put on camouflage clothes, they are cheap and comfortable," said Murad, one of residents.

Besides, Khamis Kaipova has added that they found their car completely disassembled, and the law enforcers stated that they had found arms in it.

Today, Ali Magomedov, Secretary of the Security Council of Dagestan, came to meet the protesters who were about to lynch-law the power agents; the top-ranking official has promised that the incident will be thoroughly investigated, and those guilty will be brought to responsibility.