Colleagues of Dagestani journalist Gadjiev treat law enforcers' attention as attempt to stop pickets

For the second week in a row, pickets in support of the Dagestani journalist, Abdulmumin Gadjiev, arouse increased attention of law enforcers; it is associated with the pressure on the "Chernovik" weekly, and aims to stop the actions, Magdi Kamalov, the founder of the weekly outlet has stated. Solo pickets are legal; and attempts to hinder them and the journalists' work will be appealed against, Idris Yusupov, a journalist from the "Novoye Delo" outlet, has promised, noting that at the December 19 action, policemen tried to cover up the posters from passers-by and distracted the picketers' attention.

On December 26, two solo pickets were held in Makhachkala. The first one demanding Gadjiev's release was held by Magomed Magomedov, a deputy editor-in-chief of the "Chernovik"; the second one was held by Idris Yusupov who held a poster demanding to stop the persecution of Khadji-Murad Donogo, a historian.

One of the policemen began demanding written explanations from the picketers and journalists; and to give them, he offered to follow him to the police station, Idris Yusupov said. In response, he told the law enforcer that if this demand is a detention, then it should be documented officially, but the policeman invited him to go to the station voluntarily.

According to Yusupov, the law enforcer explained his demand by the fact that at the venue of solo pickets, some unknown people "had planned to throw themselves under the wheels of the motor cortege."

Idris Yusupov has noted that anyone who wishes can go to a solo picket at any time with a demand that does not contradict the Russia laws.

The law enforcers' behaviour during the pickets indicates that authorities intend to stop any single-man actions, although they are not prohibited by the law, Magdi Kamalov has stated, supposing that this will happen again during future actions.