A witness on the case of Israilov's murder in Austria denied his former evidence out of fear for his people's fates in Chechnya

A next in turn session of the Criminal Court of Vienna, the tenth one, on the case of murder of Umar Israilov, ex-officer of President of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov's security guard, took place on January, 19. A witness was interrogated during the session who denied his former evidence out of fear for his people living in Chechnya.

There were three defendants, natives of Chechya, having the refugee status on the dock: Otto Kaltenbrunner (Ramzan Edilov before moving to Austria), Muslim Dadaev and Turpal-Ali Yeshurkaev. The investigation considers that it was them who on January, 12, 2009, tried to kidnap Israilov and take him out to Chechnya as a result of a scheme and when the attempt failed they shot him down in the street.

One of the dead Israilov's relatives evidenced as the first witness. The names of the witnesses on the case are not disclosed for safety reasons, and this one, in addition, asked to remove the defendants from the hall while he spoke, "Novaya Gazeta" reports.

After Israilov's murder this witness evidenced to the police that yet some time before the crime he had been aware that Kaltenbrunner was planning something against his relative and warned him of the danger. He then said he had seen the defendant's photos in private with Ramzan Kadyrov taken during Kaltenbrunner's last trip to Chechnya not long before Israilov's murder.

This evidence is confirmed by other witnesses' ones but during the trial on January, 19, the witness denied his former statements. He declared that he knew Kaltenbrunner only a little and had never said a word of any threat from him concerning Israilov.

Madina Sagieva, Israilov's widow, was summoned for parallel evidence and interceded for the witness saying that he could not speak the truth out of fear for the fates of his relatives in Russia.

The witness denied his collaboration with Austrian special services and in reply to the judge's direct question whether he was afraid to tell the truth he admitted that he did not rule out a danger for his relatives who had stayed in Chechnya. He may now be accused of false evidence, the Austrian Die Presse reports, one can find the article in Russian translation at "Inopressa" portal.

Interrogation of the witness lasted almost two hours after which the investigators spoke.

In the very beginning of the session on January, 19, the judge mentioned the requests sent to Russian Public prosecutor's office to facilitate impleading President of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov as a witness (who, as the investigation finds conceivable, could have ordered to capture or kill Israilov) as well as Arthur Kurmakaev (who was the first to bring to Vienna an offer for Israilov to return to Chechnya).

The court had also asked the Russian prosecutors to help establish the location of Bukhari Salamov, Lecha Bagatyrev and Shaa Turlaev and interrogate them.