On November 30, in Makhachkala, security forces conducted a search in the house of Dagestani historian, professor, and specialist on the Caucasian War, Hadji Murad Donogo. “After morning prayers, a group (not local!) arrived with a warrant. They went through the apartment and confiscated a computer, phone, flash drives, two bags of books, and folders. I still didn’t understand what they were looking for. Then they took me to the 6th department (Department for Combating Extremism of the Ministry of Internal Affairs - Ed.), interrogated, in particular, they were interested in my participation in international scientific conferences,” Donogo said in his Telegram channel.
He was unable to clarify his legal status. The police interview took place without a lawyer. “I was left without a phone with contacts and, most importantly, without a computer, which contains valuable historical materials and documents that I have collected for many years. All this was sent for examination, and if nothing suspicious was found in them, they promised to return it, which is hard to believe. If they get to the bottom of something, then, obviously, arrest and then write letters.”
On December 3, the professor wrote on social networks: “I was surprised to learn that tomorrow a rally in my support is planned. As a rule, this ends in detentions and arrests of young people. I don’t want anyone to get hurt because of me,” and asked not to hold this event.
He connected his search with another denunciation or with instructions from above. According to Donogo, he is a man of science, has never been a member of a political party, and attracted the attention of opponents because of his media activities. “It seemed to me that my activities, my posts on social networks, my publications, my publications made someone nervous. I assure you that all my activities are transparent,” said the scientist.
The historian's problems began at the beginning of the year, when he was forced to resign from his post as deputy director of the National Museum of Dagestan and his contract with the university, where he had lectured for 25 years, was not renewed. The reason for the persecution was the appeal of the “Association of Special Forces Veterans” addressed to the head of Dagestan, Sergei Melikov. The authors of the appeal accused the historian of nationalism, of criticizing tsarist policy in the Caucasus in the 19th century, idealizing Imam Shamil and Nazhmutdin Gotsinsky, and “an attempt to whitewash individuals who collaborated with the Nazis.”
In addition, special forces veterans pointed out that Donogo participated in scientific conferences in Turkey, Georgia, and Azerbaijan, “conducted by organizations pursuing anti-Russian policies and promoting separatism in the North Caucasus.” It was participation in foreign forums that interested those who interrogated the historian in the “6th Department”.
The interregional public organization “Association of Special Forces Veterans” was registered on April 4, 2017 in the village of Yasnaya Polyana, Stavropol Territory. Its chairman is retired colonel of the special forces of the internal troops Stepan Lyubenko. The Dagestan historian is not the only scientist whose work has attracted the attention of special forces veterans. On May 6, they published another appeal entitled “Intellectual prostitution or the tail of connections with the enemies of Russia...” In it they list the names of seven employees of the Kabardino-Balkarian Institute for Humanitarian Research, “who pursue anti-Russian policies in their scientific works.”