Leaders of Dagestan are not ready for dialogue with civil society

Several days ago, All-Russia Public Movement "For Human Rights" and Human Rights Center Memorial released a statement addressed to a number of officials, including the President of Dagestan Mukhu Aliev, regarding the fact that a certain group of "relatives of killed militioners" threatened public figures and declared openly that they were going to organize terrorist acts.

On many occasions before the release of this statement, human rights organizations spoke about numerous abductions, tortures and killings. We also spoke about the fact that relatives often saw evidence of terrible torture on the bodies of the people allegedly killed during a military skirmish. Unfortunately, even after this statement had been sent out, abductions continued. Every day we receive new messages about "people in camouflage" seizing people in the middle of the street. People that had been previously abducted in this manner reported later that they found themselves in the hands of law enforcement authorities.  

These actions of the representatives of governmental authorities definitely arouse protest. Having learned about another demonstrative abduction, hundreds of people went out into the streets of Derbent to protest. Law enforcement authorities cracked down hard on the protesters in Derbent, the same way they did earlier in Makhachkala.

We were disappointed by the fact that President Mukhu Aliev replied to our appeal with accusations of slander and provocation. He stated that there were no tortures, illegal prisons or extrajudicial executions in Dagestan. Moreover, suggestions, insulting to the abducted and their relatives, were made that the abductions could have been faked.    

However, the facts of abductions and tortures committed by Dagestan law enforcement authorities had been documented. Several applications of the victims have already been sent to the European Court of Human Rights; several others are being prepared. We should note that since Mukhu Aliev states that there are no illegal prisons in Dagestan and the abducted have to be held somewhere, the abducted were then held in "legal" places of detention that are under control of law enforcement authorities.  According to the victims, they suffered cruel beatings and tortures in both official and unofficial places of detention, – in basements and dilapidated buildings on the Caspian sea coast.

The Government must fight terrorism, gangsterism and illegal armed groups toughly. However, this fight must be carried out strictly within the bounds of law. Otherwise, actions of law enforcement authorities only provoke distrust of the government in many citizens and widen support for the armed underground.

We urge the leaders of Dagestan to establish dialogue with the civil society and end gross violations of human rights registered by human rights activists instead of turning down critics and accusing them of provocations. We urge them to stop taking repressive measures against the citizens who express their fair protest and to investigate threats to public figures of Dagestan.

We are still seeking dialogue with Dagestan authorities. We hope for a possibility to meet and discuss the issues of respect for human rights and of civic peace in the Republic in a constructive way.

L. Alekseeva, the head of Moscow Helsinki group
O. Orlov, the head of the Council of HRC Memorial
L. Ponomarev, executive director of the All-Russia movement "For Human Rights"

September 16, 2009