Supporters of Dagestani journalist Gadjiev link his case with pressure on "Chernovik"

Dagestani journalists have held three solo pickets in Makhachkala, condemning the practice of unjustified arrests and treating the persecution of Abdulmumin Gadjiev, a journalist of the "Chernovik" (Draft) weekly, as a part of a campaign to put pressure on the editorial policy of the independent edition.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Gadjiev's colleagues and friends are regularly holding pickets in his support. He was detained on suspicion of financing terrorism. His colleagues treat his persecution as pressure on him.

On May 31, solo pickets in support of Gadjiev were held by Magdi Kamalov, the founder of the "Chernovik", Magomed Magomedov, a deputy editor-in-chief of the edition, and Idris Yusupov, a journalist of the "Novoe Delo" (New Case) edition.

Magdi Kamalov has noted that the reaction of passers-by to the pickets was, like last week, at a high level.

Earlier, Gadjiev's colleagues called on the head of Dagestan, Sergey Melikov, to help to return their office equipment. Investigators have ignored the request to return the equipment seized during the search to the "Chernovik" editorial office; and this made it difficult for the publication to operate, they have explained.

The demand for freedom of political prisoners is relevant in Russia's realities, Idris Yusupov has noted. In his opinion, there are many politically motivated persecutions in Russia.

Efforts of colleagues at the regional and federal levels are needed to draw attention to the Gadjiev's case, the, Ilya Azar, a special correspondent of the "Novaya Gazeta", and Svetlana Prokopieva, a Pskov journalist, believe.