Russia's Memorial Human Rights Center held a conference in Moscow today to protest alleged acts of kidnapping and torture by police in Daghestan.
The conference began with a commemoration for Farid Babayev, the leader of Daghestan's Yabloko party branch who was slain one year ago. Participants also discussed cases of detainees in Daghestan allegedly being tortured and mistreated.
Jailed Daghestani resident German Khidirov sent a letter to the conference in which he described how police had allegedly raped him.
The chairwoman of the NGO Daghestan's Mothers, Svetlana Isayeva, told RFE/RL's North Caucasus Service that police officers' attitudes toward locals lead many young people to acquire weapons and join Islamic groups.
Daghestani President Mukhu Aliyev said last week that some 124 insurgents and 83 police officers have been killed in the Russian republic in the past two years.
The conference began with a commemoration for Farid Babayev, the leader of Daghestan's Yabloko party branch who was slain one year ago. Participants also discussed cases of detainees in Daghestan allegedly being tortured and mistreated.
Jailed Daghestani resident German Khidirov sent a letter to the conference in which he described how police had allegedly raped him.
The chairwoman of the NGO Daghestan's Mothers, Svetlana Isayeva, told RFE/RL's North Caucasus Service that police officers' attitudes toward locals lead many young people to acquire weapons and join Islamic groups.
Daghestani President Mukhu Aliyev said last week that some 124 insurgents and 83 police officers have been killed in the Russian republic in the past two years.
