Scandal with niqab in Khasavyurt provokes Khanov’s detention

Charges brought against Khadjimurad Khanov in a criminal case on possession of firearms and a grenade is absurd, and the attention of the law enforcement bodies is caused by the scandal surrounding the demands for an apology from a doctor in Khasavyurt, who asked a patient to remove her niqab during a medical examination, to which the leader of Dagestan reacted, Dagestani journalists and activists believe. They suggest that Khadjimurad Khanov did not estimate his strength correctly, since he did not take into account the scale of the public outcry against the backdrop of the militants’ attacks in Makhachkala and Derbent and discussions about the ban on wearing niqabs in the republic.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that Sergey Melikov, the leader of Dagestan, stood up for the doctor from Khasavyurt, who faced attacks after a misunderstanding during an appointment with a patient wearing a niqab. After the critical statement voiced by Dagestani leader Sergey Melikov, the police detained blogger Khadjimurad Khanov, who demanded supervisors of the doctor to force her to apologize.

Khadjimurad Khanov is a popular blogger in Dagestan, journalist Idris Yusupov* believes. Among the topics he was covering were social and cultural issues. As for the scandal with the patient wearing a niqab, it is unlikely that the blogger wanted such attention to himself.

Shamil Khadulaev, the chair of the Public Monitoring Commission (PMC) of Dagestan, the pro-government media use the past of Khadjimurad Khanov to discredit him.

Political analyst Denga Khalidov believes that Khadjimurad Khanov miscalculated his strength and ended up in the centre of the law enforcement bodies’ attention.

A friend of the blogger explained that, according to the law enforcers’ version, the police found a sawn-off shotgun and a grenade at the place of Khadjimurad Khanov’s residence. The friend of Khadjimurad Khanov believes the case against the blogger is related to a video on the topic of niqabs. The source also noted that Khadjimurad Khanov was involved in the fight against drug addiction.

*On November 24, 2023, the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) included Idris Yusupov in the register of foreign agents. The journalist filed an appeal against the MoJ’s decision.