Aigunov: electric shockers were used against participants of non-sanctioned rally in Makhachkala

In Makhachkala, in the course of dispersal by militia of a non-authorized rally, convoked in protest against changing custody conditions of two convicted citizens, special means were applied - electric shockers. As a result, a woman was taken away by an ambulance. This was reported to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent by Gasan Aigunov, chairman of the public observation commission of Dagestan under the Public Chamber of Russia.

"On September 14, some 20 persons rallied near the city mayoralty. They had applied in due advance for holding a picket, but received no answer. Then, they still came to the rally," said Mr Aigunov.

According to his version, militiamen detained Nasreddin Rasulov, father of the convict Ruslan Rasulov, as the organizer of the picket, and brought him to the Sovietskiy ROVD (District Interior Divisions), but then released him at once.

"When he was pushed into the car, immediately militiamen started dispersing the picket. Later, I came back to the venue and saw a woman lying there - one of the porters - she felt very bad. As people reported, allegedly, militiamen had used the so-called 'shock truncheon' to her. She felt bad and fell down; later an ambulance took he away. As they said, she was Rasulov's mother," Gasan Aigunov said to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

According to his story, the reason of the protest was in the belief of the parents of two convicts that their children were illegally administratively punished. They are serving their terms as follows: one for storing arms and the other - under part 1, Article 161, "Open plunder of one's property".

Until recently, they both served their terms in a colony-settlement in Kizilyurt. One of them - Ruslan Rasulov - was 4 times reprimanded within a year; and, according to the documents, he did not appeal against any of them.

"On September 14, in the place of the picket, I gave an interview. I said that I didn't justify the behaviour of the bosses of the republic's criminal-corrective system - they make violations. However, I can't justify also the inmates, who fail to enjoy their right to appeal against their punishments imposed in the colony," Mr Aigunov has emphasized.

According to his data, the last reprimand was imposed on Rasulov for his refusal to unload sand; he suffers from intercostal neuralgia and cannot do it physically. "And for that he was put into a dungeon for 10 days," Gasan Aigunov has added.

The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent could not receive any comments about the Makhachkala militia's actions at the non-sanctioned picket on September 14. The press service of the Dagestan MIA answers questions only after a letter of enquiry written on the official form: then, the answer is offered within 2 weeks.

The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent managed to find out from his own sources that during the picket militiamen detained a photographer, who prepared a photo report for a local newspaper. He was deprived of his camera, from where militiamen extracted the memory card with the photos. However, due to interference of his colleagues and picketers, he was released and after a while the equipment and the memory card were returned to him. The data on the card remained unchanged. According to eyewitnesses, the photographer moved no claims against the militia.