Friends of assassinated Aslan Zhukov hold protest action in Karachai-Circassia

Aslan Zhukov, one of the leaders of Circassian youth, killed on March 14, was buried on the following day - on March 15 in Karachai-Circassia. Having returned from the cemetery, his friends and supporters immediately organized a protest action. They demanded from law enforcers to find and punish Zhukov's killers.

The protesters were also indignant with the fact that the local TV announced only one version of the murder, where accent was made on Zhukov's entrepreneurial activities. His friends stick to the opinion that the crime was politically motivated.

About one hundred persons took part in the action. The wanted the President of the republic to come out to them.

The building of the government and the area around it were cordoned by militiamen. Nikolai Maiborda, head of the public order protection, urged the crowd to refrain from critical statements, and tried to calm the people until arrival of the acting Minister of Internal Affairs.

In his talk with the rally, Mr Maiborda said he had known the casualty. "I knew Aslan very well, and we'll try to solve the case as soon as possible," he said.

Meanwhile, as it became known to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent, President of Karachai-Circassia Boris Ebzeev practically within one hour came to the place, where Zhukov was assassinated. He condoled with his relatives and ordered the law enforcers to find the criminals in the shortest terms, urging the family to preserve calmness.

On March 15, the square was also visited by Mohammed Cherkesov, chairman of Circassians' public organization "Adyge Khasse". The rally demanded from him an immediate convocation of the extraordinary congress of Circassian people and restart of its work.

After short disputes on what to do further, the crowd moved into the building of the "Adyge Khasse". Mr Cherkesov later told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that the participants made a decision to hold another rally.

"Zhukov's murder is political, because he was not such a big businessman to be attempted. As to the domestic version of the murder, we also exclude it. Karachai-Circassia is not the republic, where they kill lovers. If they start killing lovers here, 9 out of 10 would die," Mohammed Cherkesov is sure.

According to his story, the acting Minister of Internal Affairs met the delegation of protesters and promised to take pains towards solving the crime and finding the culprits.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Aslan Zhukov was shot dead on March 14. According to Vyacheslav Taranenko, senior assistant to the head of the Investigatory Department of the ICPO of the Russian Federation for Karachai-Circassia, "the investigation considers various versions of this especially grave crime committed against the victim - business, domestic and the one, which has to do with his public activities."