Media: Dagestani feminists live in an atmosphere of threats

In Dagestan, women are subjected to harassment and threats when they openly agree with the ideas of feminism, belong to "informal communities," or complain about violence and blackmail, journalist Svetlana Anokhina reports.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Svetlana Anokhina, the editor-in-chief of the edition "Daptar", filed a complaint to the police about threats she got from a man unknown to her. Earlier, the journalist announced the creation of a group to provide emergency help for women who fell victim to domestic violence.

Dagestan is a patriarchal, but, at the same time, "the most brave and daring" republic of the entire North Caucasus, Svetlana Anokhina notes.

"They promise to kill me ... They sent me direct messages or called from an anonymous phone number and promised to subject me to exotic and erotic torture," Svetlana Anokhina said.

Friends of the activist found that the phone number from which she received calls was registered in the name of a man well-known for his "odious behaviour." The police "found pistols and an ID of an officer of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA)" at his apartment, but he is still a blogger with 150,000 followers on Instagram.

In Dagestan, the women who share the ideas of feminism are afraid to call themselves feminists, Svetlana Anokhina claims. "Our republic is populated mostly by Muslims, and feminism and Islam are hardly able to coexist at one territory," the activist explained.

Svetlana Anokhina also reports how in Dagestan, young women "are being harassed for posting innocent photos in bras, threatened with murder, or blackmailed."