Dagestan: defence in Akhmedilov's murder case to challenge the decision to make trial closed

The advocates of Murad Shuaybov, accused of murdering journalist Abdulmalik Akhmedilov, are preparing an appeal against the decision of the Lenin District Court of Makhachkala to run the trial behind closed doors. One of them, Adilgerey Omarov, reports that at the court session his client Shuaybov said that he was tortured during the investigation.

Let us remind you that Abdulmalik Akhmedilov, the executive secretary of the newspaper named "Istina" (Truth) and editor-in-chief of another newspaper "Sogratl", was killed in August 2009. According to investigators, he was shot dead by Murad Shuaybov, who delivered fire from the car driven by Murad's acquaintance Isa Abdurakhmanov. They both reject their guilt.

On April 28, Judge Magomed Onzholov granted the request of the state prosecutor to run the trial conduct the process behind closed doors. The prosecutor based his demand on the information from the Lenin ROVD (District Interior Division) of Makhachkala that the defendants' relatives were going to arrange riots during the court session with the aim to put pressure on the judge, prosecutor and witnesses.

However, the lawyer Adilgerey Omarov is sure that the trial was made closed to conceal from the public the numerous violations of the Russian Code of Criminal Procedure, admitted during the preliminary investigation.

Meanwhile, Ali Kamalov, the head of the Union of Journalists of Dagestan, said, while speaking in court as a witness for the prosecution, that he received threats from Shuaybov's relatives.