Dagestani leader treats solving murders and kidnappings as ineffective

Magomedsalam Magomedov, the leader of Dagestan, criticized the work of power agencies of the region on the investigation into murders and kidnappings. Magomedsalam Magomedov has emphasized that out of 55 kidnappings, committed from January 2011 till September 2012, only 18 were resolved.

According to law enforcement agencies of Dagestan, in 2012, the republic registered more than 170 murders, while in 2011, there were 237 murders. About half of such crimes have not yet been resolved, including 7 out of 13 murders of well-known religious figures of the republic, and 2 out of 4 murders of journalists.

During 2011 and first three quarters of 2012, 18 out of 55 kidnappings resolved

On November 27, at the session of the coordination meeting on maintaining the rule of law in Dagestan, Magomedsalam Magomedov reported that in 2011, in the territory of the republic, 30 crimes were committed, specified in Article 126 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (kidnapping), and only 9 of them were resolved. During nine months of 2012, 25 kidnappings were registered, and 9 of them were resolved.

"Despite the taken measures, the law enforcement agencies failed to change the situation fundamentally. The investigatory agencies and operational services fail to carry out effective investigation into those crimes, and the possibility of operational and technical services are not used in full," the leader of Dagestan stated. He has added that such situation "causes discontent of the population, and protests are often justified."

Mirzabala Mirzabalaev, Deputy Chief of the Investigatory Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF) in the Republic of Dagestan (RD), has stated that the facts of kidnapping, when kidnappers are dressed in camouflage, create a public opinion about the possible involvement of law enforcers in kidnappings.

"In 2012, 15 criminal cases were instituted on the facts of kidnappings, which allegedly involved law enforcers. Following the results of the preliminary investigation, 5 criminal cases were suspended. And it was decided to refuse to institute criminal cases on 17 complaints," Mirzabala Mirzabalaev stated. He has explained that in those cases, the whereabouts of the disappeared persons had been revealed.

According to Mirzabala Mirzabalaev, the investigators had not revealed even a single case of the involvement of law enforcers in kidnappings; however, there were cases, when criminals wore camouflage and use weapons.

"People do not appeal to the law enforcers because other people contacted them and, unfortunately, got the negative experience. Criminals are becoming aware of that interaction, and the people, who became their victims, suffer even more. We should take all measures to ensure the protection of those persons, to ensure that when appealing to the law enforcement agencies, a person would get support and assistance and no additional problems," the leader of Dagestan stated.

In 2012, 30 kidnappings involved people in camouflage

According to the information of the Office of the Ombudsman in the Republic of Dagestan, voiced by Magomed Baachilov, Security Council Secretary, in 2012, there is a tendency to increase in number of kidnappings. From the beginning of the year, the Ombudsman and also through the media received complaints about kidnappings of 56 persons and reports on 30 missing persons. In 30 cases, the kidnappings involved persons in camouflage. In 2011, 31 complaints were recorded.

The whereabouts of 22 persons out of 56 were not revealed. 23 persons were detained by law enforcers, 2 persons were killed in a special operation, 1 person was killed in manufacturing an improvised explosive device (IED), 4 persons returned home by themselves, and 4 persons were kidnapped.