Human rights activists: authorities falsify data on shooting the meeting in Dagestan

The "Caucasian Knot" already informed that to investigate the events that happened in the Dokuzparinskiy District on April 25, the members of a public commission created on the initiative of the Moscow Helsinki Group, the Movement "For Human Rights" and the "Novaya Gazeta" arrived to Dagestan. Lev Ponomaryov, director of the Movement "For Human Rights," and Anna Politkovskaya, observer of the "Novaya Gazeta," held a number of meetings with residents of the Dokuzparinskiy District and heads of the district administration.

Speaking to Dagestan journalists, human rights activists stated that both the dispersal of the demonstration and the investigation of the circumstances of the case are carried out with multiple violations of the law.

According to Politkovskaya, a notification about the meeting was submitted well in advance and in accordance with the current legislation of the country, the meeting itself was of peaceful nature, there were no extremist slogans, as it was stated in the declaration of Kerimakhan Abasov, administration head of the Dokuzparinskiy District of Dagestan.

Besides, Anna Politkovskaya stated that the investigation took the road to fake documents in order to support the version of the incident moved by the law enforcement bodies. In particular, the investigators interrogated children without their parents' permit, forced and frightened them to sign the protocols, despite the fact that some of the children did not know enough Russian to be able to read and understand the protocols.

Human rights activists stated the fact that criminal cases on the fact of injuries inflicted to peaceful residents were not initiated. In violation of all the laws, after the "special operation" of dispersing the meeting was over, several dozens residents of the district were kept for several days in the yard of Dokuzparinskiy ROVD (District Militia Station), where they were beaten by militiamen. At the same time, the investigation has failed to define so far who had ordered to open fire on the meeting.

Demet Nagmetov, father of murdered Murad Nagmetov, who spoke to the audience, stated that the only demand of the demonstration was to meet and negotiate with Kerimakhan Abasov, administration head of the Dokuzparinskiy District. "If he could have responded to the demand, the consequences would not have followed," Demet Nagmetov said.

Today, Anna Politkovskaya and Lev Ponomaryov also visited three victims at hospital, who had suffered at dispersal of the meeting in the Dokuzparinskiy District of Dagestan.