Kamalov: authors of leaflets with "execution list" know Dagestan specificities

The dissemination in Makhachkala of leaflets with the threat of blood feud against members of "Dagestan illegal armed formations (IAFs)" was done by the persons who know the situation in Dagestan quite well. This was stated by Gadjimurad Kamalov, publisher of the Dagestan weekly named "Chernovik" (Blueprint) and director general of the LLC "Freedom of Speech" (Makhachkala).

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on September 2 leaflets were disseminated in Makhachkala, in which anonymous authors said that "they will purposefully liquidate bandits and take revenge for militiamen and peaceful citizens."

"During the last year we were compiling lists of the members of the so-called IAFs. As of today, we have data on more than 250 persons," the leaflet said.

The authors name eight Dagestan journalists to be "militants' helpers": Gadjimurad Kamalov, director general of the LLC "Freedom of Speech" (Makhachkala); Nadira Isaeva, Arthur Mamaev and Timur Mustafaev, journalists of the "Chernovik"; Zaur Gaziev, a journalist of the newspaper "Free Republic"; Zubair Zubairaev, a well-known publicist; Ahnednabi Ahmednabiev, a journalist of the edition "Novoe Delo" and a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent' and Natalia Krainova, a "Novoe Delo" journalist. Also, four advocates were mentioned: Ziyavudin Uvaisov, Aziz Kurbanov, Rashid Dzhafarov and Bakanai Guseinova. Some public figures are also labelled as "helpers": Isalmagomed Nabiev, chairman of the independent trade union of entrepreneurs of Dagestan; Svetlana Isaeva and Gyulnara Rustamova, leaders of the public organization "Mothers of Dagestan for Human Rights", and Suleiman Uladiev, director of the GTRK "Dagestan" TV Company.

After the list of 16 surnames, the authors write: "Know that you are under our sight, and shortly each of you will respond for your offences."

"The fact is drawing the attention that most of the leaflets were spread near the mosque in the Kotrova Street in Makhachkala; and the jama'at of this mosque is in complicated relations with the leadership of the Spiritual Department of Moslems (SDM) of Dagestan. Besides, the 16 persons, named in the leaflet as 'militants' helpers', are known for their critical attitude to the traditional trend of Islam (Sufism) followed by the SDM. Thus, we see an attempt to 'throw over the points' to the spiritual authorities; to present the case as if the authors of the leaflet were linked with them. It wouldn't be possible for those who act from outside Dagestan, without knowing the situation in the republic from within," the IA "Regnum" quotes Mr Kamalov.

He has also told the "Kommersant": "It's a provocation, an attempt to confront adherents of the traditional Islam with the so-called 'Wahhabites', and to create a context for an intra-confessional conflict."

Alexei Malashenko, an expert of the Carnegie Centre, in his turn, could not exclude that special services could stand behind the leaflets; and power agents can insist on introduction of the CTO (counterterrorist operation) regime, as the Russian Service of the BBC reports.

Suleiman Uladiev, chairman of the "Homeland" Dagestan Union of Public Associations and director of the GTRK "Dagestan", also mentioned in the leaflet, said: "I think that this history has to do with the forthcoming election, or, better to say, appointment of the President of Dagestan."