Colleagues of journalist Gadjiev note interest of Makhachkala residents in pickets in his support

Law enforcers did not interfere with the pickets held by journalists Idris Yusupov and Magomed Magomedov in Makhachkala, but carried out a standard procedure to verify the activists’ personal data. According to the picketers, passers-by actively expressed their support.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that colleagues of Abdulmumin Gadjiev consider his criminal case to be political persecution and hold solo pickets in Makhachkala in support of him every week. On January 2, 9, and 16, the police disrupted the pickets by detaining the journalists. On January 23, law enforcers allowed the solo pickets to take place, but the colleagues of Abdulmumin Gadjiev considered the decrease in the police interference with their pickets to be temporary.

On January 30, two solo pickets were held by Magomed Magomedov, the deputy editor-in-chief of the Dagestani weekly newspaper “Chernovik” (Rough Draft), and journalist Idris Yusupov. In his hands, Magomed Magomedov was holding a poster with the demand to release Abdulmumin Gadjiev, and Idris Yusupov was holding a banner with the demand of freedom for political prisoners.

The police did not try to prevent the solo pickets, Idris Yusupov says. The journalist has noted that his picket caused increased attention of city residents: during half an hour, he counted 25 positive reactions from passers-by and drivers of cars passing by.

Magomed Magomedov, the deputy editor-in-chief of the newspaper “Chernovik”, considered the attention of city residents to his solo picket to be relatively low. The protestor noted that people approached him, expressed their support with gestures, and took pictures of him.