21:38, 31 January 2007

Supreme Court of Russia upholds cancellation of verdict to natives of Chechnya

Today, the Presidium of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation (RF) has rejected the supervisory presentation of the State Office of Public Prosecutor, with which it tried to protest against the decision of the Judicial Board on Criminal Cases of the RF Supreme Court, which cancelled the verdict passed to two natives of Chechnya and their allies, who were sentenced by the Tver Regional Court for extortion with application of violence, robbery, kidnapping and possession of munitions. The correspondent of the "Caucasian Knot" has learnt about it from Abusupyan Geitaev, advocate of Bislan Badalov, one of the defendants.

The whole today's session of the Supreme Court has taken 50 minutes at the most: the representative of state accusation and two advocates of sportsman Bislan Badalov have presented their arguments, then, the Court retired for deliberation, and 15 minutes later declared its verdict.

Now, the criminal case will be sent to a new consideration by the first instance court - the Tver Regional Court.

Author: Vyacheslav Feraposhkin, CK correspondent