Defendant in Nalchik attack case confesses of slandering Kudaev and Nogerov under torture

In Kabardino-Balkaria, at the trial on the attack on Nalchik on October 13, 2005, the defendant Azamat Akhkubekov, accused of attacking the road-and-post point "Khasanya", said that he had slandered Rasul Kudaev and Rasul Nogerov under torture and pressure from law enforcers.

"In my testimony I had slandered Rasul Kudaev (one of the defendants in the Nalchik attack case. In 2009, he challenged at the Russian Constitutional Court the removal of terrorist case out of the competence of juries. Then, the Constitutional Court found the cancellation of juries compliant with the Constitution of the Russian Federation, - note of the "Caucasian Knot") and Rasul Nogerov by saying that they were at the gathering point and participated in the attack on the "Khasanya", and that Rasul Kudaev was the Amir of the grouping," Akhkubekov said during the today's court session, answering to the questions of his advocate Farida Tuganova.

According to his story, in fact, neither Kudaev nor Nogerov were involved in the attack; and at the time they were not there. "I had slandered them under pressure, torture, and beatings. And later I had repeatedly signed evidences that Rasul Kudaev was allegedly the group leader, while Zeitun Sultanov was the factual leader," said Akhkubekov.

According to the defendant, although a certain Kalmykov was present at his interrogations as an advocate, "he was only signing papers, and provided no real legal aid."