Defence to challenge verdict on terror act in Vladikavkaz at Russia’s Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of Russia will receive the appeal against the verdict of the Supreme Court of North Ossetia pronounced to Suliman Khashagulgov, sentenced on charges of terror act in the Central market of Vladikavkaz. This was reported by his lawyer Magomed Gandarov. Relatives of the convicted man report on disappearance of the motion from the Commission for assistance in adaptation to civilian life of former members of illegal armed formations (IAF) in Ingushetia.

On March 13, Suliman Khashagulgov was sentenced to 16 years of imprisonment. Besides, the Supreme Court of North Ossetia ordered Suliman Khashagulgov to pay 157,000 roubles for material damage and to pay 36,000 roubles to the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Ingushetia.

According to Askhab Khashagulgov, the elder brother of the convicted man, many aspects of the verdict raise questions. "The verdict states that my brother was convicted for involvement in the terror act at the Central market in Vladikavkaz. However, the investigators revealed that he was not directly involved in the terror act. Besides, the court did not consider the fact that my brother surrendered the law enforcement agencies," he said.

"I know that his decision to surrender was not an easy one. However, Suliman did that," said Askhab Khashagulgov. He has added that his brother "had sworn to his father and himself that he would never and under no pretext take up arms."

According to the source of the "Caucasian Knot", Suliman Khashagulgov surrendered on June 1, 2011. "This fact and the fact that he cooperated with the investigatory authorities let us hope that the court will consider those mitigating circumstances in sentencing. We hoped for the motion, which was to be sent to the Supreme Court of North Ossetia-Alania from Ingushetia," Askhab Khashagulgov said.

However, according to him, the motion was lost in some strange way. "The investigator, who considered my brother's case, was aware of the fact that the committee met and that the motion was drawn up on the case against Suliman. After about a month after the meeting, in a conversation with me, he asked, why the motion was still not forwarded from Ingushetia to the Supreme Court of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania," said the source. "I immediately contacted Akhmed Kotiev, Secretary of the Security Council of Ingushetia. He swears to me that the motion has been sent. The trial has passed, and the sentence has been pronounced, and what had happened to the motion and where it had been lost, is unknown."

To determine the fate of the motion, Akhmed Kotiev, Secretary of the Security Council of Ingushetia, advised the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent to contact Djambulat Ozdoev, Ombudsman in Ingushetia. The fact that the motion was not submitted to the Supreme Court of North Ossetia appeared to be the news for the Ombudsman.