Witness at trial against three suspected members of Dagestani IAF claims that the bag was planted on defendant during search

On October 9, the Supreme Court of Dagestan continued to consider the criminal case against Ramazan Magomedov, Shuaibgadji Magomedov, and Abdulzhapar Labazangadjiev, residents of Dagestan, suspected of committing in the Kizlyar District a number of crimes as members of an illegal armed formation (IAF). Defence witnesses were invited for questioning.

Let us remind you that three residents of Dagestan are being charged under several Articles: "Participation in an armed formation, not provided by any federal law", "Participation in a stable armed grouping (criminal gang) or in attacks committed by it", and "Arms traffic" of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Ramazan Magomedov is also accused of aiding in the illegal manufacture of weapons and the intentional destruction of or damage to other people's property. In particular, he is accused of undermining the grocery store "Ideal", which was committed on February 16, 2011. All three defendants have pleaded not guilty.

The first court hearing on the case was held on May 11. The Court questioned operative agents and read out the minutes of the questioning of the same witnesses during the investigation. According to the lawyer, during the trial, numerous inconsistencies were revealed in the testimony of one of the defendants.

The court hearing, held on October 9, questioned Israil Khalakaev, a defence witness, a resident of the Kizlyar District of Dagestan, who participated as a witness in the search of the house and yard of Abdulzhapar Labazangadjiev.

According Israil Khalakaev, he personally saw "how an officer in a mask put a package in the children's room of the Abdulzhapar Labazangadjiev's house."

According to the witness, he did not sign the protocol of the search. And when the court presented signatures to him, Israil Khalakaev said that the signatures did not belong to him.

The court session also questioned Bagavdin Gadjimagomedov, one more defence witness, who spoke about how the search of the house of Ramazan Magomedov was conducted. Bagavdin Gadjimagomedov is a neighbour of Ramazan Magomedov, and he was invited as a witness.

According to him, 50 armed men arrived to search the house of Ramazan Magomedov, although on the day prior to the search, the defendant was detained by staff members of the Kizlyar police, and after that he began limping badly, and his face showed signs of beating.

Besides, the court session interrogated the defendant Shuaibgadji Magomedov, who retracted his testimony, given during the investigation, since he "was not interrogated by the investigator as a defendant."

"A protocol of the interrogation was just presented to me, and I was told to sign it. I refused to do that in the absence of my lawyer, and ask to allow Sapiyat Magomedova, the hired lawyer, to visit me. The investigator failed to fulfil my request," Shuaibgadji Magomedov said.

He has also explained that the protocol of the interrogation, in which he gave confession, was completed under physical pressure. "It is actually a self-incrimination, compiled of spurious facts, and I have nothing in common with them," he stated.

Shuaibgadji Magomedov has claimed that he was not involved in the crimes, of which he is being accused.

His lawyer Sapiyat Magomedova has stated that the criminal case has been investigated only from one side, with prejudice, and in an accusatory manner. According to the lawyer, serious violations of norms of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation were committed during the investigation.