17:24, 23 July 2013

In Dagestan, investigators re-qualify criminal case of attempt on Akhmednabiev

The attack on Akhmednabi Akhmednabiev, a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent, undertaken on January 11, 2013, will be investigated within a criminal case of attempted murder, the spokesman of the Department for Dagestan of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF), said today.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Akhmednabi Akhmednabiev was killed on July 9 in the Dagestani village of Semender. Earlier this year, on January 11, unidentified attackers shot four times at the journalist, but the bullets passed by. Then, investigators opened a criminal case on illegal arms trafficking and property damage.

Now, at the demand of the prosecutor's office, investigators have re-qualified the case into the article of "Preparation of a crime and attempted crime" and "Murder", said the spokesman for the investigation.

Let us remind you that Abdurashid Sheikhov, the Akhmednabiev's advocate, had petitioned about re-qualification of the criminal.

Akhmednabi Akhmednabiev had cooperated with the "Caucasian Knot" for more than seven years, covering critical topics. In particular, he wrote about human rights violations in Dagestan, crimes committed by power agents, persecution of religious communities and individual believers. In the spring of 2013, he wrote about the plans of the residents of the Akhvakh District of the republic to achieve resignation of the district head.