Dagestani activist Manapov leaves Russia

Murad Manapov, an activist, has left for Poland, fearing persecution by law enforcers. He explained that he had left Russia after the arrest of Eduard Ataev, the coordinator of Navalny's office* in Makhachkala, whose assistant he has been earlier.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Eduard Ataev, the coordinator of Navalny's office* in Makhachkala, and his assistant Murad Manapov were administratively arrested the day after the opening of the office on April 11, 2021. Manapov was charged with petty hooliganism. According to his story, law enforcers demanded a report on the office's plans and information about his relatives; they also inflicted several blows on him and threatened him with torture. In late April 2021, Navalny's office* in Dagestan was closed.

Murad Manapov was forced to leave Russia for Poland after law enforcers' pressure and intensified repressions, the "Kavkaz.Realii"** reported on August 11.

Manapov has stated that he made this decision after Ataev's arrest. "I didn't tempt fate and decided to leave the country," the "OVD-Info"*** human rights project quoted him as saying.

According to Manapov, he has not yet applied for the political refugee status and is consulting with human rights organizations and activists who have left Russia about the next steps.

*In Russia, Navalny's offices are treated as extremist organizations and are on the list of banned entities. Alexei Navalny is the organizer of FBK (Fund to Combat Corruption), an organization that was put by the Russian Ministry of Justice on the register of NCOs that act as foreign agents.

**The "Kavkaz.Realii" outlet has been put by the Ministry of Justice into the register of foreign media outlets acting as foreign agents.

***By decision of the Russian Ministry of Justice, the "OVD-Info" human rights project is included into the roster of unregistered public associations performing the functions of a foreign agent.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on August 12, 2022 at 04:49 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.