Defence treats as inappropriate behaviour of witness in caliphate case

Advocates of one of the defendants in the case on attempt to create a caliphate in Kabardino-Balkaria have refused questioning a prosecution witness, since he hardly answered questions at the court hearing held on November 16.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that none of the defendants pleaded guilty. The case involves as defendants Oleg Miskhozhev, Akhmed Balkarov, Islam Shogenov, Ruslan Kipshiev, Kantemir Zheldashev, Arthur Karov, Zaur Tekuzhev, and Ruslan Zhugov. Besides, the case also involves Zalimkhan Thamokov, who died during the investigation, and Ibragim Gugov, who was killed in detention.

On April 14, 2014, Zamir Kundetov, the last prosecution witness, was invited as a witness during the search of Ruslan Kipshiev, stopped by law enforcers on his way, according to investigators, in the direction of a Christian cemetery, where Zamir Kipshiev planned to hide ammunition.

On November 16, Zamir Kundetov, like the vast majority of the prosecution witnesses, testified via video conference from the garrison court in Nalchik.

Zamir Kundetov said he was at a petrol station together with his friend Rustam Khabachirov when a man invited him to become a witness. According to Zamir Kundetov, law enforcers took a grenade out of a pocket of the young man.

While commenting on the results of the court hearing, Timur Lakunov, an advocate of Ruslan Kipshiev, said the witness confirmed the events actually witnessed by him.

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