Police detain Imam of Shamkhal mosque

The parishioners of village mosque located in the village of Shamkhal in Makhachkala, detained today, include the Imam, said his deputy. The police department of the village has not confirmed the information about mass detentions, explaining that operative checks are being conducted in the village.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that today a resident of Makhachkala stated detentions of parishioners of the mosque in Shamkhal. According to his story, from 80 to 100 parishioners were detained by policemen after the Friday namaz (prayer).

The Imam of the mosque was also detained, and, as of 4:30 p.m. Moscow time, was still kept at the police station, Vali-Mukhammad, the Deputy Imam of the Shamkhal mosque, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

According to his story, the detainees were taken away in two buses. "They were detained for registering (that is, for preventive registration at law enforcement bodies of persons, inclined to commit administrative offenses and crimes, – note of the "Caucasian Knot"). Those, who said that they had been already registered, were released from the police," said Vali-Mukhammad.

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