Advocate of prisoner from Dagestan announces number of law enforcers involved in his beating

Natives of Dagestan beaten in a penal colony in Kalmykia said that they were tortured by about 40 people, most of whom were not taken into custody, advocate Aza Alieva reported. Very little money has been raised to pay for the services of advocates for prisoners from Dagestan, says Zaira, a mother of one of them.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that in September 2022, in Kalmykia, investigators instituted a criminal case on inciting mass riots against Magomed Atimagomedov and Daud Kuramagomedov, prisoners from Dagestan, who were accused of attacking prison warders. According to the advocates’ version, their clients were severely beaten. On January 17, the human rights project “Gulagu.net” announced a fundraiser to pay for the services of advocates for Daud Kuramagomedov and Magomed Atimagomedov. According to the human rights project “Gulagu.net”, five employees of the penal colony were arrested on suspicion of using violence against prisoners.

Advocate Aza Alieva believes that the number of the employees of the penal colony taken into custody is clearly insufficient.

“My client said that they were being tortured for three days: they were being beaten, hung up by their hands in handcuffs, poured over with boiling water, cigarettes were being extinguished on their bodies, and other forms of torture were being used against them … About 40 people took part in torturing the prisoners,” advocate Aza Alieva said.

Regarding raising the funds to pay for the services of the advocates, Zaira, the mother of one of the victims, on whose banking card funds are received, says that “very, very little money” has been raised so far.

Zaira and Aza Alieva also note that despite a video appeal to the Dagestani community in Moscow asking for support, no response followed.