13:00, 19 November 2025

Social media users called for punishment for those responsible for the murder of the Gasanguseinov brothers.

Instagram commenters* supported Murtazali Gasanguseinov, who, at a solo picket in Makhachkala, demanded that the security forces who killed his sons be found and punished.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot," on November 18, Murtazali Gasanguseinov held a solo picket in Makhachkala near the Investigative Committee building demanding that those responsible for his sons' murder be found. None of the Investigative Committee representatives came out to see him, but the picket attracted the attention of the police, after which Gasanguseinov had to write an explanatory note at the police station.

Murtazali Gasanguseinov explained to the "Caucasian Knot" that his new lawyer is not being allowed to review the case materials, and he himself has stopped receiving even informational letters about the ongoing investigation. The protester recorded appeals to Bastrykin and Putin, recalling that he had already written 14 letters to the president asking to be received and heard, but had received no response. The father of the murdered brothers stated that his two previous lawyers were forced to leave after threatening their children, and a human rights activist who tried to assist him was beaten, after which he too was forced to leave Dagestan.

As of 12:55 PM Moscow time on November 19, the "Caucasian Knot" Instagram post* about Murtazali Gasanguseinov's protest had 350 comments. Their authors unanimously expressed support for the father of the murdered shepherds and also expressed outrage at the lengthy and ineffective investigation.

"I am a tolerant person, but in this case, I ask the Almighty to inflict the same pain on those who are guilty and those who ignore it, covering up [the criminals]," wrote, in particular, xalilova16.05.

"Poor father, and how sorry I am for the boys. What kind of system is this that doesn't value human life at all?" lamented parabellum_ing. "May Allah grant you patience, a very unfair world," tt_ing_06 addressed Gasanguseinov in absentia.

Nabi and Gasangusein Gasanguseinov, 17 and 19, were killed in August 2016 during a special operation. Security forces declared the dead to be militants, but the brothers' parents and fellow villagers insisted the young men were shepherds simply grazing cattle in the mountains. The theory that the brothers were militants was later disproved. Gasanguseinov's series of pickets in 2019 resulted only in a disciplinary sanction for the chief of the police department, who reported the brothers' murders as two militants. The police officer continued to work in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and Murtazali Gasanguseinov was refused four times in response to his request to open a case against this officer. "Caucasian Knot" has prepared a report "Murder of Shepherds in Dagestan".

"Nine years have passed, and still "unidentified persons." Children were killed, and there are no culprits. Shame on those who shield criminals," midlym was indignant.

May the Almighty punish those who killed him with the most terrible punishment.

"Every time I see this father, my heart sinks. To lose two sons, to search for the truth for so many years... May the Almighty punish those who killed him with the most terrible punishment," wrote tainahome.ru. "Help finally! When will they hear the pain of the parents?!" "- tamilaimamovna spoke emotionally.

Almost five years ago, on December 25, 2020, Sergey Melikov, then acting head of Dagestan, met with Murtazali and Patimat Gasanguseinov and promised them assistance. "He said he would do everything in his power to ensure that those responsible for the murder of our children are punished," Murtazali Gasanguseinov told the "Caucasian Knot" after meeting with Melikov.

"So many years have passed, where is the law? So many years have passed, innocent people have been accused of banditry and killed!" – kkajsggejdkkdkxlll was indignant.

"I ask the Almighty for patience from the father of the murdered children. Ahead lies a trial from which no one can buy off with connections and money... Those who gave direct instructions for the brutal murder of the Gasanguseinov brothers, let them know that they are inhabitants of the place of hell," wrote gadzhiev_1_12_9_16.

In April 2021, when the court in Makhachkala again refused to satisfy Murtazali's complaint Gasanguseinov, responding to the investigation's refusal to prosecute the former Shamil District Police Chief, told the court that law enforcement officers are covering up the murder of his sons, according to a video report by the "Caucasian Knot."

"I don't understand why the Dagestani people haven't joined [...] these unfortunate parents, why aren't they supporting them? Don't they really want the murderers who walk this earth like this to be punished?" asked llama.904987.

How can they look their children in the face? How can they even sleep peacefully?

"Those security forces who committed such a crime, how do they live, knowing what they did? Hasn't Allah punished them? How can they look their children in the face? How can they even sleep peacefully?" – wrote zinhar_hubieva09.

"May Allah punish the guilty," said bom_98465. "May Allah grant you the strength and health to reach the truth," wished dinarahiasova612 Gasanguseynov.

As a reminder, in March 2021, the ECHR ordered the Russian authorities to pay Murtazali Gasanguseynov 120,000 euros. The Russian authorities are responsible for the murder of the Gasanguseynov brothers by security forces and for the failure to conduct an effective investigation into their deaths, the court ruled. The ECHR also ordered Russia to grant the families of the deceased access to all criminal case materials.

Investigators spent about a year and a half investigating the brothers' attack on security forces. Parents, lawyers, and the public successfully pushed for the case to be reclassified. Before the murder case was opened in November 2017, the official position of the investigation was that the brothers were killed by law enforcement officers. After the new criminal case was opened, it is being conducted against unidentified individuals, according to the "Caucasian Knot" report "The Gasanguseinov Case: Should We Expect Punishment for the Murder of the Shepherds?".

Translated automatically via Google translate from https://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/417323