Case against Mayor of Karachaevsk is customized, his advocate asserts

The criminal case against Soltan Semyonov, Mayor of Karachaevsk, is of ordered and political nature. This was stated by Andrei Ostroukhov, an advocate of Soltan Semyonov, during the court session to review the motion to take Soltan Semyonov in custody.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on August 8, investigators decided to detain Soltan Semyonov, Mayor of Karachaevsk, who was put on the federal wanted list and who himself came for questioning. On August 9, the Cherkessk City Court granted the investigator's motion to arrest Soltan Semyonov for two months and temporary suspend him from office.

"The defence does not believe in justice of the today's court session," Andrei Ostroukhov, the detainee's advocate, stated at the trial. He continued: "If Soltan Khuseevich cannot announce that, then I can. I believe that the case is of ordered and political nature."

The advocate has stated that he wants his speech at the trial to attract the attention of the media and the public. "Since February 27, when the case was instituted, the media highlight only the position of prosecutors. The defence is not given as opportunity to declare its position," he has said.

The advocate believes that all the above, like "bringing Soltan Semyonov to the today's court session in custody" is done "to throw mud at the man and to create a buzz around him."