Dagestan: parishioners of mosque in Sovietskoe complain of beating by power agents

Residents of the village of Sovietskoe, Magaramkent District, said that on May 13 they were beaten and humiliated by local policemen. The victims have appealed to the investigatory committee of the Magaramkent District. The local police division does not confirm the information about the incident.

"All of us - permanent parishioners of the mosque - were severely beaten, without any reason, by law enforcers. Now they should answer before the law," Budlan Khanbutaev, a resident of the village of Sovietskoe, Magaramkent District, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

He told about the circumstances of the incident: "On that day, about 150 believers came for their Friday prayer. The Imam was holding his pre-prayer briefing. At that moment loud cries burst out in the mosque; armed power agents and local policemen in outer garments and dirty shoes ran into the mosque. They cursed and ordered everyone to get into the cars, in which people were brought to Magaramkent, the district centre. There, we all were driven into the yard of the RUVD (District Interior Division)."

Then, according to his story, they started taking detainees into the rooms, by three at a time. "One of us asked to give him some time to pray. 'You want to make your namaz? Well, come with us,' policemen told him. They drove him into one of the rooms and started beating him there. We could hear his cries. Soon my turn came up with other two. They took us into the room, where a guy with a video camera came, who began taking pictures of us; then, we were fingerprinted. Then, I was taken up to the second floor. A policeman told me that I am a local leader of young radicals and run wrong propaganda among them," said Khanbutaev.

Budlan Khanbutaev told the policeman that his words had nothing to do with reality, and his behaviour was beyond the law. "The policeman didn't like my answer; he went out, and masked men came in instead of him. My hair was a bit longer than they thought normal. One of them ordered me to take my cap off. When I did it, he took scissors and began cutting my hair. I protested, and the policeman shouted that I should 'be pressed.' I was attacked by several power agents, who started beating me with truncheons and kicked me almost to unconsciousness. Then I was taken out of the office and set free," said Khanbutaev and added that policemen beat and forcibly cut beards and hair of all the detainees.

"The guys told me that the process was accompanied by foul language against Muslims and insulting remarks, even about the Allah; they beat even minor schoolchildren; two of them still lie at home, they cannot move," said the source and added that complaints were lodged by many victims; and several persons turned to the central hospital of Derbent, where they received first aid and had traces of beatings fixed.

Another resident of the Sovietskoe - Abdurakhman Abdurakhmanov - said that harassment of young Muslims began with arrival of Shakir Akhmedov, the new RUVD boss. "We had no problems with the authorities and the police; we are law-abiding Muslims. Two months ago Akhmedov took the office; and all this began. Young Muslims worked at the customs; in particular, they gave lift to people; they were fired. Muslims were selling fresh meat at the federal highway. Policemen came; they were finding fault with everything, saying that would leave us in peace only after we shave off our beards. We had to quit that business either," said Abdurakhmanov.

One of the locals, who preferred to remain anonymous, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent about other methods of pressure. "Local policemen come to parents and say that children should be taken out of the mosque; otherwise, they 'may be lost.' Young Muslims are threatened; policemen promise to plant a grenade or firearms, then take them outside the village and executed," said the source.

In his turn, Sergey Khidirov, head of the administration of Sovietskoe, said that he had no claims to the youth. "They are normal guys; if there are any elements of misunderstanding, we settle them together," he said.

The press service of the Dagestani MIA reported that they had no information about the incident; while the Magaramkent RUVD said that only their boss could give comment; however, he was away, and nobody knew when he would appear. One of the policemen said that there were no recent incidents in the district, while statements "of victims may not correspond to reality."