Pickets of journalists remind residents of Makhachkala about Abdulmumin Gadjiev’s case

Residents of Makhachkala expressed their active support to colleagues of Abdulmumin Gadjiev, a journalist of the Dagestani weekly newspaper “Chernovik” (Rough Draft), during their solo pickets. The picketers demanded to release their colleague. Relatives of Abdulmumin Gadjiev note that residents of the republic continue to address them with questions about the journalist’s fate.

On April 24, journalists Idris Yusupov and Magomed Magomedov held two solo pickets in Makhachkala with the demand to release Abdulmumin Gadjiev. Both protest actions attracted the attention of passers-by and drivers of cars passing near the place of the pickets.

Idris Yusupov emphasized that this time, his protest action caused more reactions from people than his previous picket. The journalists explains this fact by good weather and an increase in the number of tourists in Makhachkala.

According to Magomed Magomedov, many passers-by also asked him about the fate of Abdulmumin Gadjiev and about how the events with his criminal case were developing.

Magomed Magomedov believes that if the results of the linguistic examination of Abdulmumin Gadjiev’s articles are not in favour of the defence, this will affect the “Chernovik” in the same way that the very fact of the sentence to Abdulmumin Gadjiev will affect it. The articles, which, according to the public prosecutors’ version, contained “incitements to finance terrorism,” were written by Abdulmumin Gadjiev on the instructions of the newspaper’s editors, Magomed Magomedov explained.

An aunt of Abdulmumin Gadjiev, who attended the place of the pickets, notes that many residents of Dagestan follow the publications about her nephew’s case, but are afraid to comment on them.

Another female relative of Abdulmumin Gadjiev believes that pickets in support of Abdulmumin Gadjiev should be held further, as they remind the public of what is happening to him. The story of the criminal prosecution of Abdulmumin Gadjiev stays in the information field thanks to the weekly pickets, the woman believes.