In Makhachkala, local resident Islam Musagadzhiev was detained, whom security forces associate with the opposition telegram channel “Morning Dagestan”. about this on September 16 The pro-government publication SHOT wrote .
“During the search in his house, they found 11 Molotov cocktails, camouflage clothing, unloading equipment and leaflets calling for the separation of the Caucasus from the Russian Federation,” writes SHOT. The publication claims that a criminal case was opened against the man for public calls for extremist activity (clause “c” of Part 2 of Article 280.4 of the Criminal Code).
Already on September 17, State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company "Dagestan" reported that the Sovetsky District Court of Makhachkala sent Musagadzhiev to a pre-trial detention center for two months. “He is accused of unconstitutional calls for changing the government system. The corresponding texts were posted by him in the telegram channel “Chat Morning of Dagestan,” which, according to operational data, is supervised by the Ukrainian special services,” the television company said .
In the telegram channel “Morning Dagestan” they wrote in several posts that Islam Musagadzhiev is in no way connected with them. The authors of the channel believe that the actions of the security forces are an act of intimidation of people with protest sentiments and the marginalization of the Morning Dagestan channel. There is no information on the website of the Sovetsky District Court of Makhachkala yet about any case against a person with that name or that article.
On September 16, pro-government Telegram channels distributed a video with an apology from residents of Dagestan, who allegedly actively left comments in the chat of the Morning Dagestan channel. In the videos, they admitted that they wrote comments, but could not remember which ones.
- “Morning Dagestan” is an opposition telegram channel covering protests in Dagestan. The channel also covers the war in Ukraine and criticizes the actions of the Russian authorities and military.
- The channel gained popularity amid mass protests in Dagestan in September 2022 due to the announcement of partial mobilization. About 100 people were detained on September 25, and approximately the same number of people were detained the next day in Khasavyurt and Makhachkala. To disperse the protests, security forces used stun guns, batons and pepper spray.