In Dagestan, a Muslim convert complains of militiamen's pressure

Sirazhuddin (Sergey) Pigarev, a resident of the capital of Dagestan, who worked in one of Makhachkala polyclinics, asserts that he lost his job because of harassment by law enforcers.

"I've been treating patients with physiotherapy methods; but recently I had to leave work as employees of the Kirov ROVD (District Interior Division) repeatedly visited the polyclinic head to inform her that I am a Wahhabite. My boss is a good woman; and she told nothing to me; but for them to leave her alone, I had to retire," Mr Pigarev told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

He added that militiamen do not leave him unattended in other places as well. "Every morning I jog to the beach; but often the militiamen who know me quite well stop me to check my documents. They often threatened to put me behind bars," he said.

He believes that this excessive attention is explained by the fact that in 2004 he became a Moslem. "I'm a Russian; and until 2004 I led a normal life for many: drinking, smoking, going to girls. Nobody moved any complaints to me. In 2004 I took Islam; and problems appeared right on the following day. The militia, having learnt about my choice, took me into operative 'development'. They were shadowing me, with threats tried to find out who was the initiator of my conversion to Islam; every evening I was forced to visit the district militiaman for 'prophylactics', where I was offered to start 'mutually beneficial cooperation', which meant giving information about all the believers who attend early and late prayers in the mosques," said Pigarev.

According to his story, when he refused to cooperate, militiamen started calling him for questioning on any incident that happened in their district. His house was also searched. In May 2004, Adilgerei Magomedtagirov, the then Minister of Internal Affairs of Dagestan (shot dead on June 5, 2009, in Makhachkala by a sniper's shot, - note of the "Caucasian Knot"), said on the central television that Pigarev, a member of the Jama'at grouping, was preparing an explosion of the complex of governmental buildings.

Pigarev was detained; his home was searched; and militiamen allegedly found a copy of the list of the so-called "enemies of the Islamic Jama'at, subject to physical liquidation."

For seven months he was kept in SIZO-1 (pre-trial prison) of Makhachkala. Pigarev says that he was beaten there, exposed to psychological pressure; rumours were spread that he was going to commit suicide. Later, the Supreme Court of Dagestan acquitted him on all the charges. Today Pigarev believes that militiamen also wanted to intimidate those who want to adopt Islam.

The press service of the Dagestani Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), the on duty unit of the Kirov ROVD told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that they know nothing about any facts of Sergey Pigarev's persecution.