Press release, 10.03.2015

Chair of the Dagestan branch of YABLOKO Artur Babayev and his brother were detained in Makhachkala, the Republic of Dagestan, yesterday. Two people in camouflage clothes came up to them to check their documents. After the Babayev brothers showed the documents, they were asked to go to the district police station. They refused claiming that was unlawful. Then the Babayev brothers were detained by a group of policemen and taken to a police department. The police tried to take their fingerprints and blood test, asked questions about family relationships, abroad trips, religion and nationality.

Artur Babayev was told that since January 23, 2015, he was included in the law enforcement file with a note “Wahabee” and will be taken of the list in 45 years in 2060. Artur Babayev was not given any explanations why he was included on the list.

Chair of the Dagestan branch of YABLOKO has been systematically persecuted by police of late. Since December 2014 up to January 2015 police in plainclothes have arrived at his flat several times and demanded that he must go to the local police station.

Artur Babayev has been detained in the street several times without any grounds, a search had taken place in his flat, his nephew, the son of murdered ex-Chair of the Dagestan branch of YABLOKO Farid Babayev, was called in for questioning.

YABLOKO leader Sergei Mitrokhin forwarded an appeal to Minister for International Affairs Vladimir Lolokoltsev demanding to conduct a check in connection with the detention of YABLOKO’s Adtur Babayev on March 9 and explain the reasons for putting him on some list.