Relatives of Dagestani journalist Gadjiev treat arguments in defence of accused as convincing

Passers-by and car drivers actively reacted to a picket in support of Dagestani journalist Abdulmumin Gadjiev, says picketer Magomed Magomedov, a colleague of the arrested journalist. There is no reason to hope for an acquittal for Abdulmumin Gadjiev, Kemal Tambiev, and Abubakar Rizvanov, but a judge should take into account the arguments of the accused men in their defence, believes the journalist’s friend.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that colleagues of Abdulmumin Gadjiev, the arrested editor of the Dagestani weekly newspaper “Chernovik” (Rough Draft), consider his criminal case to be political persecution. They hold solo pickets in his support in Makhachkala every week.

Magomed Magomedov commented on the speech delivered by Kemal Tambiev at the trial on August 24. According to Magomed Magomedov, being an intelligent, smart, and educated person, Kemal Tambiev tried to argue in favour of the position of the defence.

Abdulmumin Gadjiev, Kemal Tambiev, and Abubakar Rizvanov managed to substantiate their non-culpability and show people, who still had doubts, the absence of any evidence base under the accusation, believes the Abdulmumin Gadjiev’s friend.

According to Magomed Magomedov, there is no hope for a full acquittal, but the judge will take into account all the details of the case and the evidence base of the defence and pronounce a “not harsh sentence”, definitely not 19 years of imprisonment, which a public prosecutor requested.

The Abdulmumin Gadjiev’s colleague from the “Chernovik”, who attended the picketing site, considers the slogan “Freedom for political prisoners” not very clear to an average resident of Dagestan. “I think the people of Dagestan have more pressing problems than political prisoners,” explained the journalist. Among such problems, he named problems with the supply of electricity, water, and gas.