Daghestani sports commentator given suspended sentence for illegal possession of ammunition
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On Tuesday, the Leninsky District Court of Makhachkala found 63-year-old sports commentator and blogger Ramazan Rabadanov guilty of illegally possessing ammunition and explosives, sentencing him to three years and two months of suspended imprisonment and fining him ₽50,000 ($640).
The sentence was reported by Russian outlet Kommersant, citing Zarema Mamaeva, head of the united press service of Daghestan's courts.
The case was opened in November 2024 on criminal code charges of possession of ammunition and explosives. According to law enforcement officers, on 6 November 2024, Rabadanov was found during a personal search to be in possession of a hand grenade, a pistol, and five cartridges. Rabadanov denied the accusations, claiming that the items were planted by security officers.
In his defence, Rabadanov pointed to pressure from the authorities due to his public and journalistic activities. He had publicly expressed support for those accused in the antisemitic riots at Makhachkala Airport in October 2023, hosted livestreams in their defence, and had reportedly planned to attend court hearings in the Stavropol region related to the case. After his arrest, his relatives stated that Rabadanov had received threats from law enforcement officers tied specifically to his broadcasts.
Rabadanov also sustained injuries during his detention. At a hearing to determine pre-trial restrictions, his legal team stated that security officers used force against him and threatened him with a firearm to obtain the password to his phone.
'They forcibly placed his finger on the phone to unlock it. His kidneys are bruised, he has a black eye, loose teeth, and cuts on his hand',Chernovik cited his lawyer as saying.
At the same hearing, Rabadanov announced that he was 'giving up his media presence' since the authorities and security forces viewed it as 'a sign of criminality'. His popular YouTube channel ceased operations shortly afterward.
Rabadanov's son, Zaur, who at the time was participating in Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, recorded a video appeal to President Vladimir Putin, asking for an investigation into law enforcement's actions.
'My father is not a sucker to be treated like this,' Zaur Rabadanov said.
In January, the court replaced Rabadanov's pre-trial detention with house arrest.
Rabadanov became known in the North Caucasus in the 1990s as a sports commentator, covering football, wrestling, and mixed martial arts tournaments. He also hosted popular livestreams and had over 40,000 followers on Instagram, a platform now banned in Russia.
Residents of Daghestan who are prosecuted for illegal weapons or ammunition possession regularly claim that security forces planted the evidence, often citing political motives. Such allegations have been made by numerous individuals accused of such crimes.
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