Caucasian knot | The Jamaat case in the Dagestani colony leads to skepticism among human rights defenders

The staff of the Dagestani penal colonies monitor the access to its territory, even of items such as foodstuffs, not to mention components for making explosives. Law enforcement officials could have opened a case on Jamaat in the colony to improve their performance after the terrorist act committed at Crocus City Hall, human rights defenders have suggested.

On April 11, it was announced that three residents of Dagestan had been arrested in connection with a terrorist community. While serving their term in a colony, they formed an illegal armed formation (IAF) with terrorist intent and prepared attacks on law enforcement officers, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF) has informed.

The information that some components for making explosives were allegedly brought into the colony by terrorist convicts seems questionable. Shamil Khadulaev, a member of the Dagestani Public Oversight Commission (POC) has noted. He also doubted the existence of Jamaats (Religious associations of Muslims, – note of the “Caucasian knot”) in the Dagestani colonies.

“They download plans from top to bottom to expose extremist communities. Those who do not reveal them will be punished,” he said Vladimir Osechkin*, the founder of the human rights project “Gulagu.net”*.

He has emphasized that such measures are one of the ways to encourage those serving their sentences in the colonies to enter into contracts with the Ministry of Defense (MoD).

*Registered by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) in the register of foreign agents.