"Why are they pushing us into a dark abyss?" The head of Dagestan published an emotional statement complaining of "harassment" following the attacks in Makhachkala and Derbent.
Sergey Melikov was outraged the fact that the media “storm” around the republic has not subsided even a week after the series attacks в Makhachkala и Derbent.
"We are accused of radicalism, criminals are lumped together with all believers, niqabs are seen as signs of terrorism, and careless, I would even say dangerous, comments are made publicly. This can only be described as harassment." “he said, admitting that he is “angered by the aggressive rhetoric towards the region.” "What kind of social experiment are they trying to conduct on our republic? Why are they pushing us into a dark abyss?" — the head of the republic asks.
In his statement, Melikov doesn't name names, but mentions "certain high-ranking officials" who allegedly "deliberately aim to escalate the situation." It's possible the head of Dagestan was referring to the head of the Russian Investigative Committee. Alexandra BastrykinaThe day before, he called for an "urgent ban" on the wearing of the niqab in Russia—the Muslim women's veil that conceals the face, leaving only the eyes exposed.
Bastrykin also stated that the recent terrorist attacks in Dagestan and the Rostov prison were committed by "Islamic terrorists," linking them to an insufficiently strict immigration policy and calling on the State Duma to adopt regulations that correspond to the "tensity of the situation."
On June 23, several armed men attacked a synagogue and an Orthodox church in Derbent, killing a priest and a security guard. That same day, a patrol station in Makhachkala was shot at, a patrol car was burned, and there were street shootouts. The armed attacks in Derbent and Makhachkala left nine people dead, seven of whom were law enforcement officers.