Akhmednabi Akhmednabiev

On July 9, 2013, in the outskirts of Makhachkala, our colleague, a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent Akhmednabi Akhmednabiev, was shot dead. He set the bar high: being in one of the hottest regions of Northern Caucasus, he wrote on hot topics: human rights violations in Dagestan, crimes committed by law enforcers, and persecutions of religious communities and individual believers. He became the 17^th journalist killed in Dagestan in the last 20 years and the second employee of the "Caucasian Knot" killed during performance of his professional duties. We bow our heads before him.

In January 2014, Akhmednabi was nominated for the contest of the "Caucasian Knot" "Hero of the Caucasus-2013".

Biography

Akhmednabi Akhmednabiev was born on August 25, 1959 in the village of Karata, Akhvakh District of Dagestan.

In 1983, he graduated from the Dagestani State Medical Academy as a professional in "Medical Care" and began working as a physician in his native village of Karata.

Since early 1990s, Akhmednabiev began practicing journalism.

In 2005-2006, he worked for the newspaper "Chernovik" (Draft).

Since 2006, Akhmednabi Akhmednabiev worked for the Dagestani weekly "Novoe Delo" (New Cause), taking the position of the first deputy editor-in-chief, and a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. In 2012, the news tape of the "Caucasian Knot" published 228 Akhmednabiev's materials; and since the start of 2013 – 92 materials.

In September 2009, the name of Akhmednabi Akhmednabiev appeared on the so-called "execution list" – leaflets disseminated in the capital of Dagestan, in which anonymous authors promised to purposefully avenge for the lost policemen and civilians. On this occasion, Akhmednabiev turned to law enforcement bodies seeking protection.

In 2012, Akhmednabi Akhmednabiev and Milrad Fatullaev, the editor-in-chief of the Dagestani edition "Nastoyaschee Vremya" (Present Time) established the Independent Union of Journalists in Dagestan. The reason for founding the organization was in the conflicts of independent journalists with the local authorities.

Since March 2012, Akhmednabiev worked for the Dagestani Centre of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Surgery as a cardiologist.

In May 2012, Akhmednabi Akhmednabiev stated that he began receiving threats.

On January 11, 2013, unidentified persons fired four shots at Akhmednabiev; however, the bullets passed by; and the journalist did not suffer. A criminal case was opened on January 13 on the incident under Part 1, Article 167 (deliberate destruction of or damage to property), and Part 1, Article 222 (illegal purchase, transfer, sale, storage, transportation or carrying firearms), of the Russian Criminal Code.

On January 29, 2013, the "Caucasian Knot" invited the lawyer Abdurashadi Sheikhov for filing a complaint pursuant to Article 124 of the Code of Criminal Procedure demanding to re-qualify the case and open a new one (additionally) on the attack on the journalist Akhmednabiev under points "b" and "g", Parts 1 and 2, Article 105, via Part 3, Article 30, Article 144, and Part 2, Article 222, of the Russian Criminal Code.

On February 8, 2013, the Deputy Public Prosecutor of the Kirov District of Makhachkala issued a statement to dismiss the complaint lodged by the lawyer Sheikhov on disagreement with the qualification of the actions of the above unidentified persons.

On February 15, 2013, a ruling of a judge of the Kirov District Court of Makhachkala declared illegal the above statement of the Deputy Public Prosecutor of the Kirov District. The legality of the ruling was confirmed on April 2, 2013, by the appellate.

On June 14, 2013, the criminal case was sent by Akhmedov, F. D., Deputy District Public Prosecutor, to the Investigating Division of the Kirov District of Makhachkala of the Investigating Department (ID) for Dagestan of the Investigating Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF) with instruction to enforce the above court ruling.

On July 9, 2013, Akhmednabi Akhmednabiev was shot dead 50 meters from his house in the village of Semender in Dagestan. A criminal case was opened on the fact of his murder under Articles 105 (murder), 167 (intentional damage to property) and 222 (illegal circulation of firearms) of the Russian Criminal Code. Under the basic version, the murder had to do with the journalist's professional activities. Ramazan Abdulatipov, the Acting President of Dagestan, took the inquiry into Akhmednabiev's murder under his personal supervision.

On July 15, 2013, Nikitin, K. V., the Deputy Public Prosecutor of the Republic of Dagestan, addressed, in relation to the above criminal case, the head of the above Investigating Division for the Kirov District of Makhachkala of the ID of the ICRF, demanding to eliminate violations of the Federal Legislation in the course of the preliminary investigation and to qualify the actions committed by unidentified persons under Part 3, Article 30, and points "b" and "g", Part 2, Article 105 of the Russian Criminal Code.

On July 24, 2013, the above Investigating Division for the Kirov District of Makhachkala of the ID for Dagestan of the ICRF fulfilled the above demand completely; and on the same day, Omarov, M. M., the deputy head of the above Investigating Division opened a criminal case No. 358487 on the grounds of an offense under Part 3, Article 30, and points "b" and "g", Part 2, Article 105 of the Russian Criminal Code.

The Annual Report of the US Department of State published in March 2014 on the status of human rights in the world quoted the statistics provided by the "Glasnost Defence Foundation" telling that as of November 1, 2013, three journalists were killed in Russia (since the start of the year), including A. Akhmednabiev, and, as of November 2013, the authorities had made no arrests in relation to his murder case.

In May 2014, Akhmednabi Akhmednabiev was elected to be the first among equals in the contest "Hero of the Caucasus-2013". Based on the voting of the readers of the "Caucasian Knot", he gained 16,070 votes, or 54.92% of the total number of voters.

Family:

Akhmednabi Akhmednabiev has three children (two daughters and a son), and grandchildren.