Head of Memorial Human Rights Centre badly beaten in Dagestan

Originally published by Novaya Gazeta 

Sirazhutdin Datsiev, the head of the Human Rights Centre Memorial’s office in Dagestan was severely beaten in the Dagestani capital of Makhachkala – the Novaya Gazeta newspaper cited Yekaterina Sokirianskaia, Director at Conflict Analysis and Prevention Centre as saying.

Sokirianskaia reported that when Datsiev left his house early in the morning on 28 March, he noticed a black Lada Priora with tinted windows parked nearby. A couple of minutes later, as he passed the car, he was attacked from behind.

Datsiev was assaulted by several men, with one of them delivering a heavy blow to his head, presumably with a baseball bat or brass knuckles, and then knocking him down and kicking him once he was on the ground.

The human rights activist was taken to the Central Republican Hospital’s Neurosurgery Department in a shocking condition. Datsiev’s colleagues expressed concern over the condition of his health as he had suffered serious injuries. Police are currently working in hospital.

According to Sokirianskaia, the Human Rights Centre received numerous threatening messages promising further reprisals, especially after the arrest of Oyub Titiev, the head of the organization’s Chechnya office.

Titiev was arrested on 9 January for the alleged possession of cannabis. Several days later, the Shali District Court ordered a pre-trial detention for Titiev. He stated in his testimony that police officers had planted a drug package in his car. He was taken to the Kurchaloevsk-based MoI Department afterwards where he was forced to confess to the crime, but refused.