Owner of brick factory in Dagestan denies information about Andrei Popov's slavery

Owner and workers of the brick factory in the city of Kaspiisk, where, according to soldier Andrei Popov, he was kept as a slave, told to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that former soldier had never been at the enterprise. At present, investigators from the military prosecutor's office examine the factory.

Let us remind you that on August 17, soldiers of Andrei Popov from the town of Ershov of Saratov Region, who, according to his story, had been in slavery in Dagestan since 2000 and escaped from there, was taken into custody as a deserter after his returning home. On August 25 in the evening, he was released from the detention facility.

The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent has visited the brick factory in Kaspiisk, where, according to Andrei Popov, he had allegedly spent 11 years in slavery.

Magomed-Rasul Rasulov, Director of the brick factory, claimed that the Popov's statement was false and that nobody of the factory personnel has ever seen the man.

"The investigators of the military prosecutor's office of Saratov garrison, who at present examine the factory, could see by that we don't have fences, dogs, and anybody can freely leave the territory of the enterprise. Most likely, Popov was in some criminal gang or worked somewhere else and not at our place," said Magomed-Rasul Rasulov.

According to the factory's director, about 25 people from different regions of the country are employed at the factory, and no one complains about working conditions.

"No one at the factory knows Andrei Popov," said factory's worker Alexei Bratchenko, Andrei Popov's compatriot from Saratov. He claims working at the brick factory for several years; during that time, he several times visited his home, and, furthermore, he had been on training probation in Germany.

Asadulla Aligarov, Senior Commissioner of the GOVD (City Interior Division) of Kaspiisk, stated that when law enforcement bodies received information about Andrei Popov, he travelled to all the 12 brick factories, located in Kaspiisk, with a photograph of the soldier. "None of the employees identified Popov," said Asadulla Aligarov.

On September 12, Andrei Popov leaves for Kaspiisk for investigatory actions. He will be accompanied by the investigator and the lawyer. Lydia Sviridova, the head of the Union of Soldiers' Mothers, is also going to monitor the course of the travel, the online edition "Chetvertaya Vlast" (Fourth Power) reports.