Dagestani authorities accuse hunger-strikers of disrupting achieved agreements

Continuation of the hunger strike in Makhachkala and involvement of new protestors represent a destructive position and violate earlier agreements with the authorities. This was stated by Denga Khalidov, the Adviser to the Dagestani leader.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the hunger strike in a house in a Makhachkala outskirt is held from October 29. The protesters assert that they try to draw attention to the problem of corruption in the republic and achieve resignation of Ramazan Abdulatipov. On November 9, the protesters decided to temporarily suspend the hunger strike to give Dagestani authorities time to fulfil their demands. However, on the next day, six hunger-strikers decided to continue their action.

"On November 9, in Dagestan, there was a meeting, chaired by Ramazan Djafarov, the Deputy Prime Minister of Dagestan. Representatives of hunger-strikers also attended the meeting. The participants of the meeting have established a certain plan of actions. It was a mutual understanding, if not on all, then on most of the issues," Denga Khalidov has stated.

According to him, at the meeting, the participants have decided to establish a number of working groups or subcommittees that are to include social activists and government officials. And at the meeting, the hunger strikers have agreed with the approach and said that they will fold their posters and stop the hunger strike.

Meanwhile, Denga Khalidov has stated he does not understand the reasons why "the agreements with representatives of the authorities have been violated and the protest action is still continued."

Zurab Kurbanov has explained the position of the hunger-strikers and said that representatives of the organizing committee of the protest action were unable to provide the other hunger-strikers any documents to prove the obligations undertaken by the authorities.

"We had agreed that they would go to the meeting, listen to the authorities' suggestions about the solution of the current situation, and bring us a draft of the document. However, they came back here with completely empty promises, they did not bring any documents to confirm the obligations undertaken by the authorities, and we decided not to stop the protest action," Zurab Kurbanov has said.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.