July 28, 2020, Makhachkala, Dagestan -- The Coalition For Women In Journalism is immensely worried about safety of feminist journalist Svetlana Anokhina following the death threats she received on July 22.

Editor in chief of Daptar, a media portal dedicated to women's issues in the Caucasus, received a phone call on July 22 from a man who identified himself as Dalgat Umakhanov and said that he has "been charged with dealing with all feminists.". The caller later said that she could not take this to the police as the chief of the police department was his cousin and went on with death threats. 

Over the years Svetlana has been writing on crucial issues concerning women’s rights such as citizen participation of women and female genital mutilation that is still an ongoing practice in Dagestan. On the day of the threats she received she has published an article critical of authorities failing to properly investigate domestic violence cases and femicides. 

Svetlana took the issue to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Dagestan which found the caller ID registered in Chechnya. The phone number seems to belong to instablogger Rashid Abdulmuslimov who has become famous for his video clips of racing expensive cars and having problems with the police, said Svetlana to Journalists’ and Media Workers’ Union in an interview. Abdulmuslimov insists he never called anyone and no one else could have done so from his number. Abdulsulimov's voice does not sound like the voice on the threatening call.

Svetlana has been targeted for her reporting before including receiving anonymous messages from social media accounts telling her that she will be found and put to the ground but this is the first time someone blatantly told her “I am going to kill you”.

In a statement on Friday Journalists’ and Media Workers’ Union urged the authorities to find and prosecute those who are responsible for the threats and impediment of the work of a journalist. Journalistic activities are of public service nature under Article 144 of the Criminal Code. 

Dagestan is a Federal Republic under the rule of Russia which ranks 149th out of 189 countries according to the press freedom index of RSF. Annexed republics; Crimea, Chechnya, Ingusheita and Dagestan are particularly “black holes” when it comes to the safety of journalists.  

The Coalition For Women In Journalism calls for immediate action to provide Svetlana with security. Svetlana raises such pressing questions regarding women’s rights in the region, and the threats are clearly intended to intimidate and silence not only her but any woman who attempts to discuss such inconvenient issues.