Week in the Caucasus: review of main events on November 28-December 4, 2022

Reports on the murder of a Chechen blogger; change of power in Makhachkala; sentence to Magomedov brothers and their partners; Leyla Gireeva's statements about domestic violence; and official data on the natives of Southern Russia who perished in Ukraine, – read about these events in the review of the developments in the Caucasus prepared by the "Caucasian Knot" for the week from November 28 to December 4, 2022.

Rumours about murder of Tumso Abdurakhmanov

On December 1, information appeared on the Internet about the murder of the Chechen blogger, Tumso Abdurakhmanov. Various Telegram channels alternately reported the assassination attempt, or withdrew their allegations. After November 7, when he announced the start of the political party "Voice of Chechenia", Abdurakhmanov posted no videos in his channel. The "Vayfond" Association and the Assembly of European Chechens have noted that the publications about the murder of the blogger did not look reliable. Law enforcement bodies in Sweden, where Abdurakhmanov lived in recent years, have not yet commented on the reports of his murder.

Change of power in Makhachkala

On November 28, the City Assembly of Makhachkala granted Salman Dadaev's request to resign from the post of the city Mayor. Rizvan Gazimagomedov became the acting head of the city. Sergey Melikov, the head of Dagestan, has called him a competent specialist "who has extensive experience in the legislative body of Makhachkala" and "leading state corporations." He attributed the development of road building, including the construction of the R-217 Highway, to Gazimagomedov's achievements during his three years as Dagestani Vice-Premier.

Verdict to Summa

The Meschansky District Court of Moscow has sentenced the Magomedov brothers and their company accused of large-scale fraud as members of a criminal community. Ziyavudin Magomedov, a co-owner of the "Summa" Group, was sentenced to 19 years; and his brother, Magomed Magomedov, an ex-senator, was sentenced to 18 years in a high security colony.

Apart from Magomedov brothers, Sergey Polyakov, a former director general of the "United Grain Company" (UGC), and Arthur Maksidov, an ex-head of the "Intex" Company, were sentenced to 12 years in prison each; while Roman Gribanov, a former head of the economic security department of the UGC, and Yuri Petrov, director general of the "Energia-M" Enterprise, were sentenced to 10 and 7 years in prison accordingly.

The court has also granted claims for reimbursement of the damage in the amount of 3.6 billion roubles; the convicts' property will be confiscated. The court has arrested the Magomedovs' property worth USD 2 billion, including the assets of one of the Russian largest transport and logistics group "Fesco", and seized from them USD 750 million proceeds from the sale of the Novorossiysk Commercial Sea Port.

Magomed Magomedov's advocate has stated that the sentences were handed down with numerous violations, and the defence would appeal against them.

Leyla Gireeva found in Saint Petersburg

On December 1, Leyla Gireeva, 18, a resident of Ingushetia, who ran away from home on November 14, reported to the police about regular violence he received from her parents. She asks to protect herself from relatives, who, according to her story, can cripple or kill her. On November 23, law enforcers detained her in Saint Petersburg, but then released her. Now, Gireeva is in a safe place, but the threat of forced return to her family remains.

The girl reported that her mother and father beat her up when they "felt in the mood"; they often locked her at home and forced her to take psychotropic drugs against her will, and also took her to an Imam. "My parents said that they should have killed me, but since they had already spent 18 years on me, they should try to get the genie out of me. The Imam pressed hard on my organs and beat me up with a stick," Leyla reported.

Officially, the death toll of Southern Russia in Ukraine is 1000

The deaths of at least 613 residents of the North-Caucasian Federal District (NCFD) have been officially confirmed, of which 273 casualties were natives of Dagestan. Officials have also announced the deaths of 110 natives of North Ossetia, 97 fighters from the Stavropol Territory and 53 residents of Chechnya. The deaths of 47 natives of Kabardino-Balkaria, 28 of Ingushetia and five residents of Karachay-Cherkessia during the military operation in Ukraine were also confirmed.

In the Southern Federal District (SFD), since the start of the military operation in Ukraine, at least 358 people were reported dead. In the Volgograd Region, the deaths of 168 natives were confirmed; in the Rostov Region – of 89; in the Krasnodar Territory – of 57; and in the Astrakhan Region – of 50. Besides, officials reported the deaths of 12 natives of Adygea and 11 fighters from Kalmykia.