Podcast | Who or what’s to blame for the Daghestan attacks?

July 15, 2024 8:52 PM

June’s deadly and coordinated attacks on synagogues, churches, and police posts in Daghestan’s Makhachkala and Derbent have led to the deaths of 22 people, as well as five attackers. The authorities in the Russian republic and in Moscow have since scrambled to find someone or something to blame, including Ukraine, niqab, and MMA.

This week, we speak to North Caucasus analyst and PhD student at Indiana university, Harold Chambers, about the Daghestan attacks and those that preceded them in neighbouring North Caucasian republics, and to Zemfira Gogui, a human rights consultant from Karachay-Cherkessia, about about people’s relation with the Federal Russian Government and what could be driving people towards radicalism in the region.

Niqab and MMA under fire in North Caucasus following Daghestan terror attack

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Ramzan Kadyrov. Screengrab from the official 9 October meeting footage.

Chechnya

Kadyrov threatens blood feud against three Russian lawmakers

Shota Kincha

••2 min read

The head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, has publicly accused three Russian lawmakers — Daghestani Federation Council Senator Suleiman Kerimov, as well as State Duma MPs Bekkhan Barakhoev and Rizvan Kurbanov — of plotting to assassinate him and threatened to declare a blood feud against them. At a meeting with Chechnya’s commanders and security forces leaders on 9 October, Kadyrov, speaking in Chechen, reportedly claimed to have information about a contract on his life. He warned that if the thre

Ramzan Kadyrov with his family at the polling station. Screengrab from Telegram.

Chechnya

Little change after regional elections across North Caucasus

Luiza Mchedlishvili

••2 min read

The United Russia party of President Vladimir Putin has won parliamentary majorities in two North Caucasus republics following elections which saw all current regional MPs keep their seats. Voting began on 6 September for local elections throughout Russia, including in several parts of the North Caucasus. These included the election of MPs to the parliaments of Kabarda-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia. Separately, the heads of Kabarda-Balkaria and Ingushetia were elected by the local

Abdulmumin Gadzhiyev

Daghestani journalist fined for protest supporting Palestine and imprisoned journalist

Luiza Mchedlishvili

••2 min read

On 14 August, the Leninsky Court in Makhachkala found journalist Idris Yusupov guilty of violating the law on foreign agents after he protested in support of Palestine and his convicted colleague Abdulmumin Gadzhiyev. The court fined him ₽30,000 ($330). According to Caucasian Knot, the administrative protocol was drawn up based on photographs of Yusupov holding solo protests in Makhachkala, which had been published on the Telegram channel of independent outlet Chernovik. Yusupov pleaded

A man waving a separatist Chechen flag in Grozny, 1995. Archive photo, Sergei Shakhijanian

Chechnya

Russia bans North Caucasian national movements

Luiza Mchedlishvili

••3 min read

Russia has banned at least 10 North Caucasian national organisations, declaring them ‘extremist and terrorist’ groups. On 25 July, Russia’s Justice Ministry updated its list of ‘extremist organisations’ to include the organisations, after a 7 June ruling by the Supreme Court declaring the ‘Anti Russian Separatist Movement’ an extremist organisation. At the time, no explanation was provided regarding what the movement referred to, aside from its description as an ‘international public movem