Another extrajudicial execution in Dagestan

On August 17, 2009 around 8 a.m. Emirali Magomedov, 1974, resident of Derbent (Dagestan) left his house for work at the zonal communications center (Emirali was working there for more than 10 years as a head of the department). At 10:10 a.m. he called his brother Ruslan, but he couldn't answer at that moment. When Ruslan called back, the number was unavailable. Around 11.30 a.m. Emirali called his mother. While talking he was brief, listened more than spoke that was unusual for him. After that Emirali didn't contact any of his relatives. All the time his car was near the building where he worked. But the relatives started to worry: Emirali didn't come to have dinner although he never used to be late.

Since 2 p.m. the relatives started searching for Emirali. The anxiety grew when Emirali's car disappeared from the usual place. The same evening the relatives applied to the Derbent GOVD (police). But no one knew anything about Emirali Magomedov's destiny. And the officers refused to accept the application. The relatives visited all the hospitals, block-posts and parking places but without any result. The relatives suggested that Emirali had been abducted: recently in Derbent some people were abducted and later found in morgue with marks of tortures. Apprehension rose also because Emirali Magomedov practiced salafism (radical Islam). Moreover, on May 7, 2009 the officers of law enforcement authorities searched Magomedov's house. That time Tagi, Emirali's brother, was suspected. Magomedov's relatives said that t cartridges and a grenade were planted to the house. After the search criminal proceedings were initiated against Tagi Magomedov for illegal storage of arms.

The next day, on August 18, the relatives applied to Derbent public prosecutor's office. On August 19, relatives learned that Emirali was in Derbent ROVD. One of the officers unofficially shared that in a neighboring Kaytag district the special military operation was being held. He supposed that the Magomedovs might search Emirali there. Relatives went to the village of Dipkhani (Kaytag district). One of them was familiar to an officer of the department of interior affairs in the district center Madzalis. Officials showed photos of those killed during the special operation. Among them Emirali's cousin identified her brother. There were signs of violence on his face. Also the relatives were said that Emirali's body was in Makhachkala morgue. Closest relatives came to identify Emiral. They were given 22 bullets which were pulled out of Emirali's body and his personal belongings. According to the relatives', these things didn't belong to Emirali.   

Almost the whole body was covered with haematomas and bruises. Both legs were broken, one of them swelled, tendons were pulled out. There were tracks of blows on the head. Relatives said that in the morgue there were around 20 bodies with the same wounds. Relatives asked to give them the body. But they got the answer that they had to apply to the Federal Security Service and if against Magomedov hadn't been instituted proceedings for terrorism relatives would be able to get the body.  

Magomedov's relatives applied to Human Rights Center Memorial.

August 26, 2009