Two activists of Navalny’s office disappear in Dagestan

Eduard Ataev, a coordinator of an Alexei Navalny’s office, disappeared after opening an office in Makhachkala. Today, Murad Munapov, an assistant to Eduard Ataev, has also stopped contacting his relatives and friends.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the Alexei Navalny’s office was opened in the capital of Dagestan, and local activist Eduard Ataev became its coordinator.

Eduard Ataev, the coordinator of the Alexei Navalny’s office in Makhachkala, has not been in touch since 3:00 p.m. Moscow time on April 11, and he is not at home, the “MBKh Media” reports with reference to Ruslan Ablyakimov, an employee of the Alexei Navalny’s federal office. According to him, Eduard Ataev did not report any threats or surveillance.

After the office opening, Eduard Ataev left for his native village of Endirei and stopped contacting his relatives and friends, reported Murad Manapov, the assistant coordinator of the Alexei Navalny’s office in Makhachkala. “The days before the office opening were very stressful and exhausting. After the opening ceremony itself, Eduard told me that he would go home to have a rest, and he looked tired. I asked him to write to me when he got home, but finally, he never wrote. At first, I thought he had just forgotten to write to me, but in the morning, I found out that his mobile phone was switched off,” said Murad Munapov as quoted by the “Kavkaz.Realii”*. Activists found Eduard Ataev’s acquaintances in the village of Endirei and asked them to visit him at home, but the gate was locked, the “Kavkaz.Realii”* reports.

Later, Murad Manapov himself also disappeared, Ruslan Akhalchi, a coordinator of the “Observers of Dagestan” movement, has written on his Twitter page today. “[Manapov] left his house and immediately stopped answering phone calls,” Ruslan Akhalchi writes.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on April 12, 2021 at 05:21 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.