The tense situation in Dagestan.

The situation in Dagestan is becoming increasingly tense. The reasons for this very much: dire economic situation (Dagestan is the most impoverished North Caucasus republics), incredible to the extent of corruption, ethnic and religious tensions, arbitrary power, etc. All these phenomena have become a breeding ground for action by the radical underground. This was at a hearing in U.S. Congress on Dagestan, which were organized by the Helsinki Commission.

Speaking at a hearing a Russian human rights activist Svetlana Gannushkina, chair of the Committee «Civic Assistance», explained that, in Dagestan, law enforcement practice of kidnapping, torture, fabrication of criminal cases. The perpetrators of numerous crimes, in most cases not brought to justice. The only possible opposition to such acts has long been a jury trial - the vast majority of fabricated criminal cases dilapidate processes by jury. However, more recently, the jury lost its right to review such cases. According to the observation Gannushkina, as a result of the «all hope for justice lost».

Civil society is extremely weak in Dagestan (the only local human rights organizations to prosecution authorities), the opposition has been unable to use legitimate methods. This leads to resistance, which turns into armed resistance.
The vast majority of those killed or arrested members of illegal armed groups operating in Dagestan - the locals. They are united by their commitment to Islam. Moreover, under the influence of the Russian government, which actively pursues followers, the so-called, «non-traditional Islam», underground increasingly radikalizuetsya - a religion for these people becomes a form of protest.

However, in Dagestan and the North Caucasus in general, are larger processes. In this region there is a process demodernizatsii Russia - to return to the traditions and the rejection of many manifestations of modernity. It is no coincidence, none of the North Caucasian republics no modern industries. Grave situation arises in the field of education - the quality of education has steadily decreased.


At the North Caucasus had «second wave» Islamization. «First Wave» was observed during the disintegration of the USSR - then Islam has become an alternative to the communist ideology and atheism; «second wave» became a political and social factors, the main method of regulating the relations within society. Significantly, many government officials of North Caucasus and Central Asia, trying to act as spiritual leaders. This is a dangerous trend away from the fundamental principles of the modern state. Federal laws in Dagestan and other republics of the region almost no work. Moscow calls on local authorities to ensure stability, turning a blind eye to the manner in which this stability is ensured. In turn, local authorities receive federal grants and a blank check for virtually any action. This relationship begins to decline.

Dagestan was the only subject of the Russian Federation, which has its own law banning Wahhabism. However, there is no adequate definition of Wahhabism, so all believers have the power to raise their suspicions.

Law enforcement agencies are using extremely brutal methods of struggle against the Wahhabis. The brutality of the police and security services with impunity causing a reaction. The fight against Wahhabism is that police killed suspects, relatives of those killed are killed by policemen. Indeed, in Dagestan «some Muslims kill other Muslims». In addition, we should not forget that in Dagestan and committed a lot of «normal» Crimes: contract killings on criminal grounds.

Unreasonable actions of the authorities of local and federal level are the cause of a very dangerous trend. Leave Dagestan ethnic Russian, and returned Dagestanis, even in Soviet times, settled in the North. However, no one in Dagestan is not willing to separate from Russia. On the other hand, Dagestan, clearly, is drifting away from Russia. Much depends on how the economic crisis will evolve - whether Moscow can continue to provide sufficient funds North Caucasian elites.