Daghestani Lawmaker Detained For Alleged Links With Islamic Insurgency

A lawmaker representing ruling United Russia party in the parliament of the North Caucasus republic of Daghestan has been arrested for alleged links with Islamic insurgents.

Magomed Magomedov was detained on June 27 during a break of a parliamentary session.

The office of Daghestan's leader confirmed the reports by Russian news agencies but refused further comment.

Magomedov is a member of the parliamentary committee for interethnic relations and religious issues.

Lawmakers immediately voted to expel Magomedov from parliament.

Daghestan, an ethnically mixed, mostly Muslim region between Chechnya and the Caspian Sea, has become the most violence-plagued province in the North Caucasus in recent years.

Militants attack moderate Muslims and local officials almost daily, saying they are fighting to create an Islamic state in southern Russia.

Based on reporting by Interfax and ITAR-TASS