We are mourning thee founder of the Dagestan branch of Yabloko and human rights defender murdered by the killers

Press Release, 24.11.2017

It turns ten years today since the tragic death of our comrade Farid Babayev, founder and first leader of the Dagestan branch of Yabloko and human rights activist. He died on 24 November, 2007, in the hospital of Makhachkala. Three days earlier Babayev was attacked by killers: at the entrance of his house, in front of the eye of his son, Babayev received four bullet wounds from the killers.

Farid Babayev was born on in the village of Jaba, Dagestan, 8 August, 1959. After graduating a university, he worked at the aviation plant in Makhachkala. In the mid-1980s he joined the cooperative movement. In 1990-1995 he was Deputy in the Makhachkala City Assembly.

In early 2000s, he actively engaged in political and human rights activities. He collaborated with the Memorial society and participated in the creation of the organisation “Mothers of Dagestan for Human Rights”, and engaged in the search for abducted and “missing” residents of the republic. He conducted an investigation into the police shooting of a peaceful rally in the village of Miskinja of the Dokuzparinsky district in April 2006. It was after this investigation that Babayev acquired many enemies in the power and law enforcement and security structure in Dagestan.

Babayev was killed during the election campaign for the election of deputies of the State Duma of the 5th convocation. Then the authorities of Dagestan openly prevented the campaign by the republican branch of Yabloko.

The vile murders of political opponents have become a common practice in modern Russia. Work in defence of human rights, civil investigations and political struggle require exceptional courage and often entail a direct mortal danger in the North Caucasus, which still remains a territory where violence replaces the law. Unfortunately, little has changed for in ten years.

The name of Farid Babayev is inscribed in the sad list of Yabloko activists murdered by hired killers.

Today, Nikolai Rybakov, Deputy Chairman of the Yabloko party, laid flowers in memory of Farid Babayev at the monument to the victims of political repression. Yabloko mourns Farid Babyev together with his relatives and next of kin.

Let his memory last forever.