Key witnesses testify in favour of Aslan Yandiev

Umar Khadziev and Ruslan Tsurov, sentenced in cases on terror acts committed in North Ossetia, deny the prosecutor's version in the Aslan Yandiev's case. Both witnesses state that they do not know Aslan Yandiev and that they confessed to the crimes under torture.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Ingush native Aslan Yandiev, born in North Ossetia, was put on the international wanted list in April 2007. In January 2011, he was detained in Slovakia, and in July 2018, he was extradited to Russia and placed in a SIZO (pre-trial prison) in Vladikavkaz.

On April 23, two key witnesses testified in the Aslan Yandiev's case at a hearing of the North-Caucasus District Military Court. Umar Khadziev, a 35-year-old native of Vladikavkaz, was questioned the first.

Umar Khadziev claimed torture and "psychological and physical pressure" from Ossetian law enforcers. "Law enforcers tortured me. I did not give any confession. And I do not consider myself guilty, I don't remember Aslan Yandiev," Umar Khadziev stated at the trial.

The second key witness is Rustam Tsurov, another alleged accomplice of Aslan Yandiev, who is serving his sentence at a penal colony in Udmurtia.

Ruslan Tsurov noted that he pleaded not guilty during the trial in his case in North Ossetia. He also stated that he was not acquainted with Aslan Yandiev. Like Umar Khadziev, Ruslan Tsurov complained to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) about torture from North-Ossetian law enforcers. "All testimonies in my case were fabricated, and [they] put pressure on me," the witness said.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on April 24, 2019 at 03:18 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.