ICRF and Ombudsman react to detention for dancing in Gelendzhik

The Investigating Department for the Krasnodar Territory of the Investigating Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF) has reported conducting its investigation into the detention of lezginka dancers in Gelendzhik. Following the results of the investigation, the ICRF's Department will assess the actions of both sides to the conflict: the lezginka dancers and the policeman who detained them. This was reported by the "Efkate" TV Channel on August 16.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on August 13, YouTube published a video showing a detention of a man by policemen and Cossacks. The video is entitled "Cossacks and the police tie a lezginka dancer in Gelendzhik". According to eyewitnesses, the police detained four persons for dancing lezginka in the street. Meanwhile, a pepper spray was used in the course of the dancers' detention, and a female tourist was injured. During the detention of the dancers, the police claimed that "lezginka dancing was banned in the Krasnodar Territory," eyewitnesses said. On August 14, the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) reported that the court found two lezginka dancers guilty of petty hooliganism and failure to obey to a lawful demand of the police and sentenced them to five days of arrest. Later, one of the dancers was released.

According to the police report, in the course of the detention, one of the patrol policemen was injured by one of the dancers who allegedly hit him on the head.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) reports the police began to detain dancers after a local woman complained about the noise. According to the MIA, the patrol policemen asked the dancers to produce their IDs, but the dancers refused. Besides, the young people also refused to follow the policemen to a police station for their identification and started rendering resistance when the policemen tried to take them to a police car, the "MTRK Krasnodar" reported yet on August 15.

Sergey Myshak, Ombudsman for the Krasnodar Territory, commented on the situation on the same day.

"I have sent inquiries to the law enforcement agencies. I keep the problem under control. Whatever happens, everything should be assessed in terms of the law, not emotions. I believe we should investigate the situation in calm way and exclusively in the legal field," wrote Sergey Myshak on his page in Facebook.

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