Chernovik journalist suspected of financing terrorism arrested for 2 months in Dagestan
MAKHACHKALA. June 19 (Interfax) - The Makhachkala Sovetsky District Court has arrested Abdulmumin Gadzhiyev, editor of the religion section of the newspaper Chernovik, for two months, a court official told Interfax.
"The judge of the Makhachkala Sovetsky District Court has arrested Gadzhiyev for two months," the source said.
Gadzhiyev and two other residents of Dagestan, Abubakar Rizvanov and Kemal Tambiyev, were detained on June 14 on suspicion of financing terrorist activities.
The case against the suspects was opened based on the articles dealing with participation in the activities of a terrorist organization and financing of terrorism.
"Rizvanov headed the charity foundation Ansar. He raised money, which he later sent to militants abroad. He was sentenced to three years in a penal colony for this. He walked free in September 2018. After his release, he resumed criminal activities and the law enforcement agencies working on his case managed to reach Gadzhiyev and Tambiyev," the source said.
When Rizvanov headed the foundation Ansar, which is now closed, he sent the money raised to Abu-Umar Sasitlinsky, whose real name is Israil Akhmednabiyev, it said. He is using work on public projects in African countries as a cover for assisting terrorists in Syria. "Akhmednabiyev is hiding from the Russian justice system abroad," the source said.
Interfax does not currently have official comments from the law enforcement agencies on this matter.
Meanwhile, Chernovik compared the Gadzhiyev situation to the detention in Moscow of journalist Ivan Golunov. "They're trying to bring an absurd charge against Abdulmumin Gadzhiyev, editor of the Religion section of the newspaper Chernovik: financing of extremism. It's practically the same as the planting of drugs on Ivan Golunov in Moscow. Abdulmumin Gadzhiyev is one of the oldest Chernovik staff members, and his articles on religious issues have always drawn a positive response from his readership and were broadly discussed," the paper said.