Journalist Magomed Magomedov treats his detention at picket as result of provocation

The police have planned the detention of Magomed Magomedov, the deputy editor-in-chief of the Dagestani newspaper “Chernovik” (Rough Draft), at a picket in Makhachkala in support of Abdulmumin Gadjiev by preparing a provocation, the journalist himself believes. He intends to seek to bring law enforcers to justice and will continue to hold weekly solo pickets.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on January 15, the police detained Magomed Magomedov, accusing him of violating the regulations for holding a solo picket. The court found no signs of wrongdoing in Magomed Magomedov’s actions, and he was released.

Magomed Magomedov said that during his picket, a passer-by stopped next to him and unfolded a poster, which also read: “Freedom for Abdulmumin Gadjiev”. Magomed Magomedov rolled up his poster, explaining to the person who approached him that he was breaking the law. However, at that moment the police approached. “Then the citizen immediately folded his poster and said that he was not going to carry out any action,” Magomed Magomedov said.

The law enforcers showed Magomed Magomedov a photograph of him and a stranger with an unfolded poster and said that holding multiple pickets violated the law.

At the police department, Magomed Magomedov’s mobile phone was taken away, but the police did not request a mobile phone from the man who disrupted the solo protest. When the stranger saw that Magomed Magomedov was recording the data of the policemen and him in order to later appeal against the actions of the police, he began to behave aggressively and threaten with the use of violence.

Magomed Magomedov noted that he had never seen the stranger who disrupted his solo action at pickets in support of Abdulmumin Gadjiev.

“I treat the situation as a provocation aimed at disrupting my solo picket, and I consider it an attempt to resume disrupting solo pickets,” the journalist emphasized.