Social media users considered the sentence given to security forces for Dzhabrailov's death to be lenient.

Makhachkala police officers sentenced to six years in the death of detainee Akhmed Dzhabrailov should have been found guilty of murder and given lengthy prison terms, social media users argued.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," on May 15, the Sovietsky District Court of Makhachkala sentenced three defendants in the death of Akhmed Dzhabrailov to six years in prison. The fourth defendant had previously been sent to the SVO zone and died there in the summer of 2025. The case was investigated under charges of abuse of power (Part 3 of Article 286 of the Russian Criminal Code, which carries a prison sentence of three to 10 years) and intentional infliction of grievous bodily harm resulting in death (Part 4 of Article 111 of the Russian Criminal Code, which carries a prison sentence of up to 15 years).

Video footage of the security forces' actions horrified social media users

Facebook* users left a The "Caucasian Knot" publication about the security forces' sentencing has received 306 comments as of 12:58 p.m. Moscow time on May 20, and 48 comments on Instagram*.

Most commenters who watched the "Caucasian Knot" video about the sentencing considered the security forces' actions excessively cruel and the sentences handed down to them too lenient. Many users are calling Dzhabrailov's death a murder, although from a legal perspective, the security forces have not been charged with murder (Article 105 of the Russian Criminal Code, which carries a sentence of up to life imprisonment).

"They take such pleasure in killing him, it's simply horrifying. Putting everyone in jail is a cruel murder," Tsara Khabaev, in particular, expressed outrage.

"Killing a person is a grave sin. May God punish you in this world, you inhuman creatures. Didn't you even consider yourselves, when you tortured this young man, what will happen to you tomorrow? You are simply inhuman, kinder animals," said Sohiba Davlatshoeva.

"It's a nightmare, how can you do such a thing, and even call yourself a Muslim? It's a disgrace," Khadija Adbulkadyrova was horrified. "The people in the footage aren't Muslims. [Name of animal], you will answer to Allah!" - wrote Rovshan Melikov.

"He should have been punished for 16 years, not six," said Nemat Akhmadzhonovich. "Why not a life sentence? Other employees of many agencies will behave differently," wrote Sergei Botezat.

Six years isn't enough; they tortured and killed him, after all.

"Six years isn't enough; they tortured and killed him, after all," said Salambek Shabayev. "How can this be possible? A man tied up... These aren't the police—they're murderers," said Chynara Kudaibergenova.

"What 'exceeded their authority'? They deliberately killed him," opined kaspiysk_83. "These police officers shouldn't be jailed, but executed in the square, so that others know no one will go unpunished," wrote karmelit.75.

"Don't you have at least a little compassion for people? We're human, how can you be cruel? Don't you feel people's pain?!" asked 111_evlo_999.

"Six years for murder. I got five years, and my friend eight, for alleged hostility and hatred toward the current government. And what kind of hostility this was, how it manifested itself, and against which government, they still haven't explained to us. A rude word directed at a government official will get five years or more, and when government officials kill, you'll be exhausted trying to prove it," wrote aslan_naptugow.

"These guys got six years each because the case started making waves. "They'll be released in a year," Tim Tim suggested.

Krasnodar police officer sentenced to six years on identical charges

Police officer Dmitry Korchagin in Krasnodar was charged under the same articles of the Russian Criminal Code as the security forces in Makhachkala. The case was opened in connection with the death of detainee Ilya Afrosin.

The death of 32-year-old Afrosin became known in September 2021. The deceased's father said his son had been detained by security forces twice. On June 29, 2021, after his first arrest, Ilya Afrosin sent his sister a video showing signs of injury, and after his second arrest, on July 1, he stopped responding. He was found on the steps of a store and died in an ambulance. According to the death certificate, Afrosin died of a spleen injury. This type of injury is caused by beatings, but with timely medical attention, it can be saved.

In February 2026, the prosecutor requested eight years' imprisonment for Korchagin under Part 4 of Article 111 of the Russian Criminal Code and six years under Part 3 of Article 286 of the Russian Criminal Code. Based on the combined crimes, the prosecutor requested an 11-year sentence in a maximum-security penal colony. On March 3, a court in Krasnodar found Korchagin guilty, but sentenced him to six years in prison, not 11..

The investigation into the death of Kurban Dalgatov has been ongoing for more than three years.

As a reminder, 35-year-old Kurban Dalgatov was beaten in January 2023 at the same Sovetsky District Police Department in Makhachkala where Dzhabrailov died, after being detained by security forces. He was given first aid and taken to the hospital, but doctors pronounced him dead. Relatives stated that Dalgatov died of asphyxiation, which occurred after he was "inflicted with electric shocks to the heart." The man sustained injuries before his death, the Ministry of Internal Affairs confirmed.

In July 2024, the investigation into the case of 11 police officers accused in Dalgatov's death was completed. . The criminal cases of two other police officers who entered into pre-trial agreements with investigators—Islam Atavov and Marat Babayev—were separated into separate proceedings. None of the defendants pleaded guilty.

By January 2026, three years after the death of Kurban Dalgatov, most of the defendants had not been sentenced, with five of them sent to the special military unit. Dalgatov's relatives were outraged by the lengthy trial, despite officials' assurances that the perpetrators would be punished.

In April 2026, it became known that the trial of Dalgatov's death would begin anew due to the termination of the presiding judge's mandate.

The father of the murdered shepherds has been seeking punishment for the security forces for almost 10 years.

Murtazali Gasanguseinov, a resident of Dagestan, has also been unsuccessfully seeking punishment for the security forces. His sons, 17-year-old Nabi and 19-year-old Gasangusein, were killed in August 2016 during a special operation. Security forces claimed the dead were militants, but this was later disproved. Gasanguseinov's series of pickets in 2019 resulted only in a disciplinary sanction for the police chief, who reported the murder of the shepherd brothers as two militants. The police officer continued to work for the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and Murtazali Gasanguseinov was denied four times his request to open a case against the officer.

In November 2025, Murtazali Gasanguseinov held a solo picket outside the Investigative Committee building in Makhachkala, demanding that those responsible for the murder of his sons be found. No representatives from the Investigative Committee came out to see him, but the picket attracted the attention of the police, after which Gasanguseinov was forced to write an explanatory note at the police station.

Murtazali Gasanguseinov explained to the "Caucasian Knot" that his new lawyer is not being allowed access to the case materials, and he himself has stopped receiving even informational letters about the ongoing investigation. The picketer recorded appeals to Bastrykin and Putin, recalling that he had already written 14 letters to the president asking to be seen and heard, but had received no response. The father of the murdered brothers said his two previous lawyers were forced to leave after threatening their children, and a human rights activist who tried to help him was beaten, after which he was also forced to leave Dagestan.