20:24, 15 October 2014

Putin promises to draw investigators' attention to killings of journalists in Dagestan

Funeral procession in connection with the murder of journalist Akhmednabi Akhmednabiev. Makhachkala, July 9, 2013. Photo by Patimat Makhmudova for the ‘Caucasian Knot’.

On October 14, speaking at a sitting of the Presidential Human Rights Council (HRC), the Russian President promised to draw investigators' attention to the need to investigate the killings of journalists in Dagestan.

Maxim Shevchenko, a member of the HRC, reported about murders of journalists in Dagestan. According to his story, since 2000, in Dagestan, 15 journalists "fell victim to different criminals," and not a single crime was solved."

The death toll of Dagestani journalists includes the "oppositional Khadjimurad Kamalov and Akhmednabi Akhmednabiyev," Maxim Shevchenko said addressing the President of Russia.

Akhmednabi Akhmednabiev was killed on July 9, 2013, in the outskirt of Makhachkala. He became the 17^th journalist killed in Dagestan in the last 20 years and the second employee of the "Caucasian Knot" killed during performance of his professional duties. On July 30, Russia’s investigators have suspended the preliminary investigation into the murder of jounalist. In the end of Septermber the decision to suspend the investigation was cancelled by the Kirov District Prosecutor's Office of Makhachkala.

Crimes against persons shall be investigated, "regardless of the professional activities performed by the person," President Putin said in his turn.

Mikhail Fedotov, the head of the HRC, has commented on the issue saying that most of the instructions issued after Vladimir Putin's meetings with the members of the NRC are not fulfilled.

"Unfortunately, I have to state today that most of the instructions and orders issued by the President after the previous meetings with the HRC members have been ignored. Something has been fulfilled not to the end; and something – not fulfilled at all", said Mikhail Fedotov.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.