At trial in Sheikh Said Afandi al-Chirkawi's case, defendant Magomedali Amirkhanov pleads not guilty

At the trial in the case of the terror act committed in the house of Sheikh Said Afandi al-Chirkawi, defendant Magomedali Amirkhanov refused to plead guilty. Defendant Shikhmirza Labazanov denied his involvement in the terror act, but admitted his guilt in aiding and abetting criminals.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Dagestani residents Shikhmirza Labazanov, Magomedali Amirkhanov, and Magomed Gadjiev are accused of training Aminat Saprykina, who blew herself up in the house of Sheikh Said Afandi al-Chirkawi on August 28 2012, under Article "Terrorism" and under articles of banditry and arms trafficking. Akhmed Israpilov, a fourth defendant, is charged of banditry, arms trafficking, and kidnapping of a person for ransom.

In the course of the court hearing held on February 4, Magomedali Amirkhanov noted that law enforcers detained him in the morning of December 8, 2012.

"I do not know those people, they were in masks. They put a plastic bag on my head and took me, as I guessed, to Makhachkala. There, I was tortured with electric current. At first, they asked me about some strikes and murders of people unfamiliar to me. And then, they forced me to sign a confession as if I allegedly participated in the preparation for the terror act. I was taken to Moscow then," said Magomedali Amirkhanov.

In his turn, defendant Shikhmirza Labazanov admitted that he "was a member of the Suleimanov's criminal grouping and that he knew he was accompanying a young woman put on the wanted list." Meanwhile, he said he was not aware that the young woman "was going to blow herself up in the house of Sheikh."

When asked by the advocate, why he gave a confession during the preliminary investigation, the defendant replied that he was subjected then to psychological pressure.

Let us remind you that on February 4, 2015, advocate Murad Magomedov who is defending one of the figurants in Sheikh Said Afandi al-Chirkawi's case was beaten up near the building of the Supreme Court of Dagestan after a court session.  

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.