12:36, 8 May 2014

First prosecution witnesses questioned at Kutaev's trial in Chechnya

On May 7, the Urus-Martan City Court of Chechnya continued considering the criminal case initiated against Ruslan Kutaev, the President of the "Assembly of Caucasian Peoples", accused of drug possession. During the session, the court questioned first prosecution witnesses – policemen and witnesses who were present during the search.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Ruslan Kutaev was detained in the village of Gekhi, Urus-Martan District, on February 20. According to human rights activists, later he was tortured.

The prosecution witnesses, who were questioned on May 7, got confused in the circumstances of Ruslan's detention and suffered from forgetfulness, says the message of the Committee against Torture that has arrived in the "Caucasian Knot".

Having listened to the testimonies of the prosecution witnesses, the defendant Ruslan Kutaev used his legal right and made a statement to the court: he said that he was severely beaten after detention, refused to plead guilty and treated the trial as a demonstrative execution for his political activities.