The court acknowledged prolongation of arrest to a defendant on the case of Politkovskaya’s murder lawful

Today the Board of Appeals of Moscow city court acknowledged lawful prolongation of custody term to Rustam Mahmudov, defendant on the case of murder of “Novaya Gazeta” political observer Anna Politkovskaya.

It should be reminded that on October, 16, the investigation reported inquiry concerning brothers Rustam, Ibrahim and Djabrail Mahmudov, Lom-Ali Gaitukaev and Sergey Khajikurbanov accused of Politkovskaya’s murder accomplished. On November, 26, the court prolonged custody term to Rustam Mahmudov till March, 7.

Today the court dismissed the appeal of the defendant’s attorneys who asked to alter the preventive punishment to him. Mahmudov’s attorney Darya Trenina asked to change the form of her client’s preventive punishment for any other one not connected with custody and the release him because in the opinion of the defense, the time limit of his stay in custody expired in accordance with the law.

However, the investigator asked the court to dismiss this appeal for the reason that one of the defendants was still studying the materials of the case. The court agreed with the investigation’s opinion dismissing the attorney’s claim.