Police in a district of Dagestan just south of Makachkala have reportedly asked members of the Salafi sect to sign documents promising to notify police if they leave the republic.Yelena Denisenko, a representative for the Memorial Human Rights Group in Dagestan, said that "they gave out forms with printed text saying 'I, so and so, am obligated to inform police within three days if I take a trip outside of the republic ... 'and on top of that the person is required to indicate what form of transportation they'll be taking, for what purpose, etc."
"I was told that one girl tried to travel to Rostov for medical treatment, but she was not allowed to leave the republic, although she had a medical aim," he said.
The head of the district's police dispatch center defended the measure, saying that it was part of wider "preventative measures" ordered by the Interior Ministry. He said, "There are heinous crimes being committed on the territory of the Russian Federation, including those of a terroristic character. In connection with this, there is an order for all Dagestanis who are on file with the police to warn us about their intentions to travel outside the republic."
The police official added that "no one is prohibited from leaving; they can go wherever they want -- Moscow, Vorkuta, Stavropol -- but we need to know about it."
He said the move was not in any way connected with the Olympic games, adding that "it will continue even after the games."
He claimed that no one was forced to sign the documents, and that it was all done voluntarily. He said, "We went from home to home, discussed the matter, explained that this is being done for security reasons and so that these people wouldn't be tormented with checks in other regions."
Citizens of the republic of Ingushetia found themselves facing similar restrictions in early January, when they were advised by the republic's security council to avoid taking trips to Sochi's Krasnodar region unless absolutely necessary.