One of the ex-emirs evidenced at a trial on the case of assault at Nalchik

On February, 16, Murat Kotsev who by October, 13, 2005, was emir of Jamia of “Iskhozh” micro-district of Nalchik evidenced at the trial on the case of assault at Nalchik.

Kotsev said that on October, 3, 2005 he was invited to a name day party of his friend Arthur Tengizov’s daughter. There were about ten guests in Tengizov’s house, among them emirs of the mosques of Nalchik.

Then Musa Mukozhev came. He said that he called the emirs in order to tell them that Anzor Astemirov and Ruslan Ojiev had met with representatives of Chechen republic and arranged about integration.

According to the witness, Musa Mukozhev said that the representatives of Chechen republic appealed to him with this request for the second time. At the first appeal Musa Mukozhev refused saying that “Islam in our republic has another way of development”. The mosques were closed, the Moslems began to be persecuted, delivered to police departments where the personnel humiliated them and Public prosecutor’s office ignored their complaints.

“Mukozhev said that we had no more reason to refuse the appeal of the representatives of Chechen republic”, the witness recalled.

According to the witness, during the meeting Musa Mukozhev informed them that Anzor Astemorov was appointed emir and he himself instead of remaining emir would carry out other tasks. Mukozhev told them to keep secret of all he said, until a certain moment.

The witness was asked whether he brought to notice of the congregation of the mosque what he heard from Musa Mukozhev and he answered that he did not.

“When Musa was emir of the republic there was no question of armed struggle or violent upheaval. All such talks were suppressed. He told us that our mission was to speak the truth to the people. That was a period of predominance of moral values”, the witness said.

The party of defense asked the witness a lot of questions. They were connected with the situation in the Moslem community. A representative of the defense asked him whether the Jamias were structural units of one organization and he gave a negative answer.