MAKHACHKALA , November 1The head of Dagestan Sergei Melikov, speaking about punishment for participants in mass riots at the Makhachkala airport, said that the organizers of the protest action and its most active participants would be held accountable, but no one would “chase witches” «.
The day before, Melikov, at a meeting with heads of government bodies, deputies and social activists of the republic, spoke harshly about the participants in the riots at the Makhachkala airport, calling them cowards, scoundrels and scoundrels who do not deserve leniency. After this, former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and European freestyle wrestling champion Makhmud Magomedov called on the authorities of the republic and the competent authorities to forgive those who caused the riots.
“Who demands that everyone who was at the airport that night be punished? … If he did not carry out any illegal actions, if he did not in any way affect the safety of the airport, if he did not injure police officers, who says that he will be held accountable?… Where they broke the gates, where they smashed shop windows, where they overturned a police car — they will answer. But the one who stood and watched and simply held a Palestinian flag in his hand, he will not answer,» Melikov said on Wednesday at the press approach.
He expressed agreement with the position of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chairman of the Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin — there must be an objective investigation, and first of all those who “organized, provoked this event and involved people in it” should be punished.
Persons who committed crimes will be brought to justice, Melikov assured. However, “they will not chase witches and persecute those who are not involved or have not committed crimes, he emphasized.
On Sunday, residents of Dagestan broke into the runway of Makhachkala airport after the arrival of a flight from Tel Aviv. Presumably, they were looking for Israeli citizens who had arrived, riots began. The Ministry of Internal Affairs opened a criminal case for mass riots, more than 150 active participants were identified.
According to the latest data from the Main Internal Affairs Directorate for the North Caucasus Federal District, 83 people were detained. On Tuesday, courts in Dagestan arrested 15 riot participants for sentences of at least three up to 10 days, two more detainees were sentenced to correctional labor.