Local resident kidnapped in Dagestan

On April 5, unidentified power agents kidnapped Yusup Zagirov, born in 1977. His brother Omar Zagirov made a statement yesterday, on April 8.

"On April 5, 2009, my brother Zagirov, Yusup Magomedzamirovich, born in 1977, at about 6 p.m. left his house and took a fixed-route taxi going from Shamkhal village. His aim was to ravel to Moscow. My brother's business is driving second-hand cars, and on that day he had some 200,000 roubles on him," runs Omar Zagirov's statement.

According to the brother of the kidnapped person, before reaching Krasnoarmeysk settlement, the taxi where Yusup was stopped by a duty unit dressed in camouflage. We couldn't find out what type the unit was. Having taking all the passengers out of the van and having searched them, the agents then took Yusup Zagirov aside. Under the evidence of one of the passengers, the agents were communicating and one of them said: "Here, we've found this Tsunti!" Then, other detainees were set free, and Zagirov was taken away in an unknown direction.

"At about 9 p.m., several VAZ-2110 cars with switched-off headlights and some 'Gazel' minivans drove up to our house. Then, our house and those of our neighbours were surrounded. Power agents in masks and camouflage, without presenting any search warrants, rushed into our houses. They held searches - without inviting witnesses and observing remedial norms," said Omar Zagirov. In the course of the searches, they took mobile phones away from Yusup's wife and Zagirov's neighbours.

"The same took place in the neighbouring houses: all the males were put down, faces in the ground, and were not allowed even to raise head for quite a long time," said Omar Zagirov.

According to his story, nothing was found in the houses after three-hour search; then, people in camouflage and masks retired.

Militia boss in Shamkhal village said that he knew nothing about the searches and Zagirov's fate. The Kirovsk ROVD gave about the same answer, while relatives who came to the local FSB division on the following day were even not let in.

According to the brother, in the evening on April 6, Yusup's house was searched again - without any explanations and observance of remedial norms. One of power agents said that Zagirov was at the IVS (temporary custody facility). However, his name was not registered there.

On April 7, at 10 a.m., the relatives filed an application to the prosecutor's office and applied for help to the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial".

The HRC "Memorial" has reported that Yusup Zagirov adhered to the Salafite trend of Islam; his relatives suspect that it could be the reason of his detention.