The Khasavyurt district court of Dagestan sentenced the former head of Navalny's Dagestan headquarters, Eduard Ataev, to six years and five months in a general regime colony. This was reported by Kavkaz.Realii with reference to Ataev’s lawyer Israfil Gadadov.
Atayev is accused of possession of weapons (Part 1 of Article 222 of the Criminal Code), explosives (Part 1 of Article 222.1 of the Criminal Code) and drugs (Part 1 of Article 228 of the Criminal Code). At the end of March 2022, the man was sent into custody - since then he has been in pre-trial detention center-3 in Khasavyurt. The prosecutor asked to sentence him to seven and a half years in prison.
After the man was detained, his lawyer Israfil Gadadov told Kavkaz.Realii journalists that the activist connected the persecution with his political activity. Gadadov pointed out signs of fabrication of the case. During one of the court hearings, Atayev indicated that he had never used or stored drugs. The man also reported violations of his rights in the pre-trial detention center: he was not given correspondence.
The criminal case against the activist has been heard in court on its merits since August 15, 2022. In September of this year, the court suspended the consideration of the case due to the fact that Atayev alleged torture during detention. The activist claims that they then put a bag over his head, wrapped it with tape, and then forced objects that looked like a pistol handle and a grenade into his hands.
- Eduard Ataev headed the Dagestan branch of the People's Freedom Party (PARNAS). In January 2023, this department was liquidated at the request of the Ministry of Justice.
- Navalny’s supporters have been trying to open a headquarters in Dagestan since February 2021. In April of the same year, Eduard Atayev, the then acting coordinator of the headquarters, was arrested for 10 days. In fact, the security forces kidnapped the activist, as well as another employee of Murad Manapov’s headquarters. The latter said that after his arrest they threatened him with torture and demanded a report on the plans of the headquarters.
- On June 9, 2021, the Moscow City Court recognized the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), the Foundation for the Protection of Citizens' Rights (FZPG) and the headquarters of Alexei Navalny as extremist organizations. An appeals court later upheld this decision. After this, supporters of the opposition politician began to leave Russia en masse.