On June 22, debates began in the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don in the trial of Dagestani journalist Abdulmumin Gadzhiev, accused of financing terrorism. The prosecutor requested 19 years of strict regime for him. He demands that the same terms be set for programmer Kemal Tambiyev and the head of the Ansar charitable foundation, Abubakar Rizvanov, who are involved in the case together with Gadzhiev.
Let us remind you: the trial has been ongoing since November 2020. According to the prosecution, Gadzhiev, Tambiev and Rizvanov, under the pretext of raising funds for the construction of mosques and helping poor Muslims, collected and sent 68 million rubles and 200 thousand dollars to militants in Syria. They did all this with the help of newspaper publications and through the mediation of the Dagestani preacher Abu Umar Sasitlinsky (Akhmednabiev), who was put on the wanted list.
As the indictment states, “Abdulmumin Gadzhiev, sharing and supporting the ideology of the terrorist organizations “Congress of the Peoples of Ichkeria and Dagestan”, “Higher Military Majlisul Shura of the United Mujahideen Forces of the Caucasus”, as well as ISIS, actively disseminating the ideas of these organizations and reviving their activities on the territory of the Russian Federation , published a number of articles in the Chernovik newspaper. In his publications, Hajiyev, focusing the attention of the audience on the national, religious and social contradictions of the modern world, adapting Quranic verses and hadiths to them, tried to influence the consciousness of people with the aim of involving them in participating in the activities of the terrorist organization ISIS.”
Since neither the investigator nor the prosecutor who approved the indictment have sufficient competence in the field of linguistics, religious studies and political science, at the request of the defense, a psychological and linguistic examination of 26 articles by Gadzhiev, which are mentioned in the materials of the criminal case, including an interview with Sasitlinsky, was carried out. Specialists from the ANO “Forensic Expert” did not find any signs of extremism or “inducement to transfer funds” in the publications.
However, the prosecution considered that this examination was not trustworthy, and at the request of the prosecutor, the controversial articles were sent for analysis to the Southern Center for Forensic Expertise of the Russian Ministry of Justice. Experts again did not find anything criminal in the publications, including propaganda of “ideas of the superiority of Sharia.” The prosecutor invited the head of the expert group to the court and asked whether Gadzhiev covered the activities of Israil Akhmednabiyev “in order to influence Muslims and encourage them to donate money to the preacher’s fund.” He replied that such questions were not put to the experts. This served as the basis for ordering a new, already third, psychological and linguistic examination. This time, the experts chosen by the court were clearly asked the question: “Do the articles contain propaganda of any ideas and views.”
On May 18, the answer was announced in court: “The presented articles contain propaganda: the need for intellectual and spiritual development of the inhabitants of Dagestan, the Islamic way of life as a means of combating spiritual, intellectual and cultural degradation, the need to introduce scientific knowledge and progressive modern achievements and technologies into Muslim society , obtaining spiritual and religious education and secular education in various branches of scientific knowledge.” Experts again found no signs of terrorism and extremism.
Previously, a number of witnesses recanted their testimony against the defendants, and the so-called classified witnesses were unable to answer questions asked by the defense.
The Memorial human rights center declared Hajiyev a political prisoner, and the international human rights organization Amnesty International recognized him as a prisoner of conscience. Reporters Without Borders, the Committee to Protect Journalists, Human Rights Watch, former head of the Human Rights Council under the President of Russia Mikhail Fedotov, Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova, and the Union of Journalists of Russia also spoke out in support of the journalist.
Relatives of Gadzhiev and his colleagues from Chernovik hold weekly single pickets in Makhachkala demanding the release of the journalist. Often these pickets end in conflicts with the police, who take away the posters and take the protesters to the district police station.
The newspaper “Chernovik” has now ceased to be published in a printed version - printing houses, under pressure from the authorities, refused to print its circulation. The editorial office was evicted from the premises it occupied. The publication is published only in electronic form.