19:23, 16 May 2014

Imam killed in Dagestan, locals report

A burnt-down car with a man's body inside was found in the Buynaksk District of Dagestan. According to local residents, the casualty was the Imam of the mosque of the village of Stalskoe, Kizilyurt District. However, the Investigating Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF) argues that the body has not been identified yet.

According to villagers, the killed man is Omaraskhab Alibegov, the Imam of the mosque in Stalskoe, who disappeared on May 15. "He's gone yesterday; for the whole day we could not contact him. In the afternoon, he left for Kizilyurt, but never reached the destination," Magomed Gadjiev, a resident of Stalskoe, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

According to his story, "when relatives learned that a car similar to Imam's one was found in the Buynaksk District, they went there." "They say that the body got badly burned, but his brother asserts that this is Omaraskhab," said Gadjiev, adding that the Imam was considered to be a "follower of Wahhabism"; and he could be killed out of revenge. He also explained that the village has strained situation because of religious differences.

Author: Patimat Makhmudova

Source: CK correspondent