Dagestan: public meeting of relatives of abducted young men

Today, on August 26, 2009, in Makhachkala (Dagestan) meeting of relatives of  several young men abducted earlier took place. On August 23, Islam Askerov, Arsen and Artur Butayev were abducted. Islam and Artur managed to escape. Destiny of Arsen and two other young men – Gadji Gudaliev and Amiraslan Islamov (HRC Memorial doesn't have information about the abduction of these young men) – is still unknown (see HRC Memorial message: http://groups.google.com/group/hrcmemorialeng/browse_thread/thread/7a84984859c1b36f?hl=en%3Fhl%3Den).   

Today at 11 a.m. relatives of the abducted and those concerned with the situation gathered on the Lenin square. More than 100 people came to express their protest. They demanded to find the abducted young men and stop extrajudicial executions in Dagestan.   

Women screamed out their demands addressing them to the House of Government. There were posters with slogans in handwriting. People started to loosen the array separating the building of the government from the square.  

Some time later the officers of law enforcement authorities started to break up the meeting. The officers screamed: "People like you have to be killed!" Women in hijabs (head scarves) and officers started to brawl. Special troops officers also entered into the brawl. About15 women wearing clothes according to Islam traditions were arrested. Special troops officers beat young men and detained some of them. All the time there were heads of law enforcement authorities on the square. They didn't do anything to stop their officers' violence.  

The representatives of the organization "Mothers of Dagestan for human rights" tried to enter the building where the Security Council of Dagestan seats but they were not able to do it.  

No one from the government came to talk to the gathered people  

August 26, 2009