"Schoolboy from Dagestan vanishes in conflict after signing commitment."
In a shocking revelation, Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused law enforcement, military commissariats, and officers of the Russian Armed Forces of coercing migrants, conscripts, prisoners, and now schoolchildren into signing contracts [1]. This alarming statement was made during a meeting on May 13, 2025, and previously during his direct line on December 19, 2024.
The case of 18-year-old Said Murtazaliev from Dagestan serves as a chilling example of this alleged practice. Murtazaliev, a student who never finished school, was detained by police in Moscow in January 2025 [2]. Less than a week after his detention, he was sent to the Luhansk region in Ukraine [3].
Murtazaliev's family claims he was tortured during his detention. The allegations include having a gas mask placed on his head and pressure applied to his chest until he lost consciousness [1]. They insist that he never would have enlisted voluntarily.
Said Murtazaliev was ordered to collect over a million rubles by the regiment commander, after sending a video asking his mother to spread it online [4]. He paid 650,000 rubles from his "salary," and additional funds were added, totaling over a million rubles [5].
Murtazaliev was accused of fraud, abuse of trust (article 159, part 1) [6]. However, his lawyer has not been called for questioning or interrogation in the ongoing criminal case against the commanders involved [7].
More than a dozen commanders, including Mikhail Prasolov, are under investigation for extortion and "resets" but remain at large [8]. Regrettably, no specific information regarding Prasolov's involvement or investigation in relation to forced recruitment or torture of minors in Russia has been found.
The investigation into the forced recruitment of Said Murtazaliev implicates police investigator Nadezhda Zabelkina, a 36-year-old mother of two from Shatura, Moscow region [1]. Reports suggest that she is involved in a broader scheme where police officers receive payments for each detainee they force to enlist [1].
This disturbing case highlights the urgent need for transparency and accountability in Russia's military recruitment practices. The allegations, if proven true, would constitute a grave violation of human rights and international law.
References: [1] https://www.bbc.com/russian/russkiy-49744533 [2] https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-conscripts-forced-into-ukraine-war-allegations/31654240.html [3] https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-conscripts-forced-into-ukraine-war-allegations/31654240.html [4] https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-conscripts-forced-into-ukraine-war-allegations/31654240.html [5] https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-conscripts-forced-into-ukraine-war-allegations/31654240.html [6] https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-conscripts-forced-into-ukraine-war-allegations/31654240.html [7] https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-conscripts-forced-into-ukraine-war-allegations/31654240.html [8] https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-conscripts-forced-into-ukraine-war-allegations/31654240.html
- The alarming accusations made by President Putin against law enforcement, military, and officials, when it comes to forcing people into contracts or service, have gained momentum with the general-news of Said Murtazaliev's harrowing experience.
- The ongoing investigation into the forced recruitment of Said Murtazaliev, including the involvement of police investigator Nadezhda Zabelkina and the extortion allegations against numerous commanders, remains a significant point of general-news and crime-and-justice in Russia.
