13:22, 19 February 2014

MCC extends custody of figurants in Politkovskaya's murder case by other three months

Defendants in the case of the murder of Anna Politkovskaya - Lom-Ali Gaitukaev, Rustam Makhmudov and Sergey Khadjikurbanov at the Moscow Court, June 4, 2013. Screenshot from video records of the Moscow Court press-service.

Today, the Moscow City Court (MCC) has extended the detention of all five defendants in the murder case of the observer of the "Novaya Gazeta" Anna Politkovskaya. Thus, the judge has granted the petition of the prosecutor Boris Loktionov.

At today's session, the prosecutor has justified the extension petition by the fact that two of the defendants violated the terms of their earlier recognizance not to leave, while the rest of them had been taken into custody on legitimate reasons, which have not expired or changed.

The lawyer Murad Musaev called the court biased. He stated his arguments and objections, in connection with which he demanded "to immediately release Djabrail Makhmudov from custody"; while the lawyer Saidahmed Arsamerzaev asked to reinstate the recognizance not to leave for his client Ibragim Makhmudov, or appoint him any other freedom restriction measure, not involving custody.

However, the presiding Judge Pavel Melekhin found the prosecutor's demands more reasonable and has ruled, on the basis thereof, to extend the defendants' arrest by 3 months, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

Author: Yulia Buslavskaya

Source: CK correspondent