Lawsuit filed against Doku Umarov's 'spokesman'

Prosecutor's office of Chechnya filed a lawsuit against an active rebel Anwar Labazanov, an alleged spokesman of the Caucasian insurgents' leader Doku Umarov, for incitement to national or religious hatred or enmity. Video speech titled "Reminder for militiaman" made by Labazanov and posted on a rebel website encouraged prosecution.

As it was reported to a correspondent of the "Caucasian Knot" on 3 June in the law enforcement bodies in Chechnya, 30-year-old native of the Republic Anwar Labazanov has been on the wanted list since 2007 for infringement on a law enforcement officer's life. He is Doku Umarov's spokesman and in charge of propaganda campaign on the Internet. He is also a kind of spokesman of the rebel groups' leader. Labazanov is skilled in mine blasting and in many types of weapons. He has repeatedly posted on a website the material with threats to the leadership of the Chechen Republic and to the law enforcement officers", a source in the Chechen inferior ministry said.

In his words, a lawsuit against Doku Umarov's spokesman was filed when his video speech had been posted on a website. "The bandit was captured on video somewhere in a forest and addressed to Internet users with a speech about superiority of one people over another based on their relationship to the norms of religion. Video was titled "Reminder for militiaman", a source said.

Prosecutors detected in Labazanov's actions signs of the crime envisaged by Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (incitement to national or religious hatred or enmity). Had Anwar Labazanov been detained, he would face a long prison term.