Advocate: native of Chechnya arrested on Politkovskaya's case was tortured

Mr Makhmudov, the native of Chechnya, arrested on charges of association in Anna Politkovskaya's murder, was beaten. For about a week his defender was not allowed to meet him. Advocate Murad Musaev who is Makhmudov's defender told about it to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Three Makhmudov brothers are under arrest in connection with Politkivskaya's case: Tamerlan, Dzhabrail and Ibragim. A well-known Moscow lawyer Murad Musaev is representing the interests of only one of them, but he does not give the name, referring to the promise given to the relatives.

The advocate has told that his client was beaten at the militia station with a plastic bottle filled with water; they wanted to force him into confession of the crime. At the same time, Mr Musaev has refuted the media information that his client had pled guilty under tortures.

The defender has also explained that none of the three Makhmudov brothers was accused of direct execution of the murder of the "Novaya Gazeta" observer, but only of criminal complicity.

We remind you that the State Office of Public Prosecutor has presented accusations to four natives of Chechnya - suspects of murdering Anna Politkovskaya, observer of the "Novaya Gazeta."