Salim Akhobekov asks to stop prosecuting him for dancing in Gelendzhik

Salim Akhobekov from Kabardino-Balkaria, who had served five days of arrest for dancing lezginka in Gelendzhik, addressed rights defenders with a complaint about the actions of the Cossacks and policemen. The lezginka dancer has asked the rights defenders to prevent institution of criminal proceedings against him.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on August 11, in Gelendzhik, the police detained the young people, who were dancing lezginka. Two of them were arrested for five days. Later, a criminal case was instituted against Salim Akhobekov.

Today, on September 1, the Salim Akhobekov's appeal to the rights defenders has been published on the website of the Kabardino-Balkarian Human Rights Centre (HRC).

"I could never imagine that a folk dance can act as an excuse for bringing me to criminal liability," Salim Akhobekov notes in his appeal.

"At present, I am hospitalized, and I receive medical treatment in the hospital. I ask everyone who cares not only for the fate of me as a person, a citizen and a son of my people, who has not committed anything illegal, but who also cares about the destiny of our country and the future of our children to respond to my appeal and to attract attention to my situation by any means accessible to you," Salim Akhobekov emphasized in his address to rights defenders.

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