Charges against 14 out of 18 detainees in North Osetia brought after the murder of poet Jigkaev

Four persons in North Osetia detained after the murder of poet Shamil Jigkaev were released. The investigation brought charges of storage of arms, drugs and extremist printed matter against the rest 14 detained, imam of the local Sunni mosque Kulat Ismailov among them. 

Earlier, the "Caucasian Knot" reported that relatives of the members of Moslem community detained in North Osetia appealed to the republican Religious Board of Muslims asking for help. The detentions of the activists of Islamic High Council took place on May, 31, after a special operation in which David Murashev was killed. He had been suspected of the murder of Shamil Jigkaev, writer and dean of Osetian Philology Faculty of the republican State University on May, 26. 

Osetian mufti Khajimurat Gatsalov told the journalists he did not believe in involvement of those detained in Shamil Jigkaev's murder and Felix Tsokov, Head of the Department of external relations of the Religious Board of Muslims (RBM), insisted on polygraph examination of the detainees. "Instead of bringing pressure upon people embittering them in this way, you had better given them a lie-detector test, then it will be evident who is right and who is wrong", "Commersant" quotes Tsokov.  

Inrahim Dzagurov, Assistant of the Mufti of North Osetia, reported on June, 4, that personal belongings, mobiles and documents were confiscated from the detainees' relatives during search. "The attorneys are not allowed to see the detained, moreover, the location of the majority of them is unknown. Officials of all the departments reply: "They are not here". Public prosecutor's office refuses to receive statements from the relatives", he said.

Extraordinary Council of the Religious Board of Muslims was convened on June, 1, where the decision was taken that in case if federal and republican authorities and Public prosecutor's office fail to interfere in the situation the Religious Board would abdicate its responsibility.