Maksim Shevchenko: ‘No doubt there are forces that want to destabilize Tatarstan and Dagestan'

Mass repressive crackdowns are expected

Maksim Leonardovich, today in the Derbent district of Dagestan there has been an explosion, there are casualties. How to characterize this event – a terrorist attack?

It is a monstrous terrorist attack. We need to fight against the criminal underworld, which is lifting its head, unfortunately. The presence of heavy artillery shells tells us that gang members still have an access to military equipment, as during the Chechen War. Bandits are highly skilled specialists because it is difficult to make an explosive device.

What is important, now terrorist attacks have intensified, particularly in the South and Derbent. I think we need drastic measures here. But these measures should not concern those citizens of the Russian Federation that have nothing to do with these underworld, but who by their religious practice are indiscriminately classed to so-called non-traditional Islam. Although I do not understand what traditional and non-traditional Islam are. How can we record the religious views of a person to the his as traditional and non-traditional?

Someone likes Tolstoy. Someone likes Pelevin. It turns out that one who likes Victor Pelevin is a person with a non-traditionalliterary view of life?

The presence of heavy artillery shells tells us that gang members still have an access to military equipment, as during the Chechen War

No repressive crackdown against the followers of any religious directions, if they do not belong to the criminal underworld and do not support it, can be justified in any case. I'd caution law-enforcement agencies against mass repressive crackdown against innocent citizens, what I, unfortunately, expect.

'ISIS is a virtual thing'

According to some media reports, the responsibility was taken by the terrorists of banned in the country ISIS (an extremist organization banned in Russia).

ISIS – is a virtual thing, which no one has seen, but it always appears. It is incomprehensible what ISIS is, who has claimed responsibility. Well, claimed, let it be. It is necessary to punish the bandits. I don't care what they call themselves.

If people blow up bombs, regardless of brand, which they assign to themselves, they must be severely punished for their crimes.

They want to rock the boat in Tatarstan

Is there a threat of a similar attack in Tatarstan or other Muslim regions?

I believe that such terrorist attacks are possible everywhere – in every corner of the globe. Because at any point of the Earth there are psychopaths, mad people, who would realize their psychopathic views with terror, violence, and assign themselves a different kind of stupid brands. I think everything is possible and everywhere. So, we need to keep up the counter-terrorism operation in the country very carefully.

But it is very suspicious that the attacks take place in areas that are of strategic importance. What is the Derbent? It is the border with Azerbaijan, the external border of the Russian Federation, it is huge customs. Derbent is, unfortunately, a transit point for drugs coming from the South.

But it is very suspicious that the attacks take place in areas that are of strategic importance

But apart from ISIS, there can be any scent of those who wanted to cover up the scents of their crimes and blame them on some mythical ISIS. And then to write it off for the fight against terrorism.

Derbent is not without a sin. The celebration of the 2000th anniversary of Derbent is very suspicious, huge extra-budgetary funds were spent on this celebration. We know how the heads of the district were forced to collect funds for the repair of Derbent, which is a criminal offence. I think that the crime situation beyond the scope of terrorism is complex and difficult in the country, especially in Derbent.

As for Tatarstan, many who want to rock the boat here. It is a stable, economically developed and powerful region in which there are excellent relations between the peoples, there is no ethnic hatred. But there are some individual activists who are not popular neither among Tatar, nor among Russian peoples. Both sides have radicals.

No doubt there are forces that want to destabilize Tatarstan, to cover up some shady business on the border with Azerbaijan, to destabilize Dagestan. Terrorism is a thing, someone blows up some crap, and everyone talks about it. And then they post online: 'ISIS has done it'. And one thing led to another.

'The connection is not obvious'

Is this terrorist attack connected with the war in Syria?

Everything is connected with each other: with the war in Syria, with the pilgrimage of penguins in Antarctica.

I see few links between the explosion in the Derbent district of Dagestan and the war in Syria. This connection is not obvious. I think this is all about domestic affairs and inner affairs of Dagestan in the first place.

I see few links between the explosion in the Derbent district of Dagestan and the war in Syria. This connection is not obvious. I think this is all about domestic affairs and inner affairs of Dagestan in the first place

Psychopaths and fanatics

Can there be many suicide bombers in Russia?

Yes. I believe that in Russia there are many psychopaths, fanatics, religious and non-religious characters, are just sick in the head.

Such characters easily fall a prey to the recruiting agents, sometimes not connected with the ideology of the terrorists who pursue their own criminal goals. There are quite a lot of such characters.

Such people with unstable mentality should be monitored and treated. The threat comes from them.