23:23, 2 February 2007

The officers who killed peaceful inhabitants of Chechnya will be released from custody

The Supreme Court of Russia has ruled to release under signature not to leave the two lieutenants of internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs - Evgenij Khudyakov and Sergey Arakcheev - accused of murdering three peaceful residents of Chechnya, and also of kidnapping and illegal detainment of one person. Advocate Irina Kuznetsova has reported that on February 1 the Court satisfied the petition of the defence to change the restriction measure that was appointed by the North Caucasian District Military Court on December 20, 2006.

Currently, Khudyakov and Arakcheev are kept in the pre-trial prison ("SIZO") in Rostov-on-Don. In Ms. Kuznetsova's words, the judicial ruling will arrive to the isolation facility within about a week, the RIA "Novosti" reports. It is expected that the defendants will be released by the start of the next court hearing appointed on the middle of February.