Man, suspected of murdering Chechen poet Ruslan Akhtakhanov, arrested in Moscow

The Savyolovo District Court of Moscow arrested Mairbek Umaev, a 42-year-old unemployed native of Chechnya, accused of the murder of Ruslan Akhtakhanov, the prominent Chechen poet and social activist.

Ruslan Akhtakhanov was killed at night on November 16, 2011, in Moscow. On March 9, Mairbek Umaev, the native of the Shelkovskaya District of Chechnya, was arrested for a term of two months on suspicion of committing the crime.

Mairbek Umaev and his lawyer did not protest against the arrest, and they left the decision on pre-trial restrictions "at the discretion of the court." Mairbek Umaev confessed to the murder at the very first interrogation by signing "an honest confession", in which he confessed to the murder "of personal hatred", the "Kommersant" reports with reference to Vladimir Tarasov, Assistant Chairman of the Savyolovo District Court of Moscow.

The detainee explained the reasons for the crime committed by him by the fact that Ruslan Akhtakhanov allegedly used for his personal purposes money from some foundation, that has been collected from the Chechen businessmen to restore the republic. Mairbek Umaev learned that fact and decided to kill the poet.

However, Mairbek Umaev refused to give further testimony; he used his right not to incriminate himself and wanted to consult his lawyer. Investigators treated such a hasty confession and rejection as strange. Thus, the Investigatory Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF) has made no official announcement, the RIA "Novosti" reports.