A regional head in Russia's Dagestan republic was detained Monday in a dramatic operation, media reports said, citing sources in law enforcement agencies.
Andrei Vinogradov, head of Dagestan's Kizlyar region, was detained by special units of the Federal Security Service (FSB), the local Chernovik newspaper reported Monday.
Vinogradov's bodyguards attempted to resist the detention attempt but were unsuccessful, the Interfax news agency reported. Nobody was injured during the arrest.
Neither official confirmation nor explanation for Vinogradov's detention had been given by the time of this article's publication.
A house belonging to Sagid Murtazaliyev, head of the local branch of the state pension fund, was searched Monday in connection with Vinogradov's case, Interfax reported. Murtazaliyev, who was the head of the Kizlyar district before Vinogradov, is currently hiding in Dubai, the report said.
Vinogradov's bodyguards were accused of killing four people in 2012, the Kavkazsky Uzel (Caucasian Knot) news website reported, prompting relatives of those killed to block a federal highway and demand that Vinogradov be fired.
“Everybody knows that unarmed people were brazenly shot by bodyguards of the head of the Kizlyar district Andrei Vinogradov,” one of the participants of the highway protest told Kavkazsky Uzel at the time.
Vinogradov was suspended from his post pending an investigation but argued in court that the people accused of the killings were not his bodyguards.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
