A prosecution witness in the case of Imam Tamaskhanov gave contradictory testimony.

A secret witness in the case of Ingush imam Muhammad Tamaskhanov claimed to have attended prayers at a mosque, but could neither give its address nor describe the building. Supporters of the imam, who is accused of failing to report a crime, came to court to support him.

As reported by Kavkazsky Knot, on February 18, more than 100 people attended the Magas District Court of Ingushetia, where the trial of Imam Muhammad Tamaskhanov, accused of failing to report a crime, began. The judge, citing technical problems, adjourned the hearing.

During the latest hearing in Imam Tamaskhanov's criminal case in the Magas Court, a secret witness under the pseudonym "Pliev" testified. He participated in the hearing via video link, Fortanga reported today.

The witness claimed that he attended the mosque regularly for a year, almost every Friday. However, when asked to clarify the details of his testimony, he was unable to give consistent answers and began to contradict himself, the imam's supporters reported on the Instagram page* mechet_za_kanalom.

The most striking example was his description of the mosque's location: the witness stated that it was on Albogachiev Street. This claim was refuted, since even the streets closest to the mosque are not related to the given address.

Furthermore, the witness described the mosque as "one-story and small." This information is fundamentally at odds with reality: the Tamaskhanov mosque is a three-story building capable of accommodating up to 2,500 worshippers.

Other additional questions concerned the witness's stated time of events, specifically "after prayer, at approximately 2:00 PM." As was revealed during the investigation, the entire Friday ritual process at this mosque lasts no more than an hour and usually begins no earlier than 12:00 PM. Therefore, the time frame mentioned by the witness was also called into question.

The imam's side stated that due to inconsistencies in the testimony, "the veracity of the information provided by the hidden witness is seriously questionable."

The detention of imams Muhammad Tamaskhanov and Magomed Sultygov caused a widespread outcry. Security forces used brute force to detain Imam Magomed Tamaskhanov and pressured him to confess to ties to a terrorist group, according to religious leaders who demanded Ingush authorities intervene.

Tamaskhanov "was forced into his home, thrown to the floor, restrained, and taken to the security forces' center in Magas. Using illegal interrogation methods, they demanded he confess to meeting with an extremist element with whom Magomed is completely unfamiliar, has never met, and has had no dealings with," the statement reads. It was separately emphasized that Tamaskhanov was not acquainted with Ganiev.

The criminal case against Ingush imams is connected with religious activity, including the construction of mosques and support for the "Anti-Irica" ​​movement, stated Muhammad Tamaskhanov.

Muftiates exist within the legal framework of the state, and their cooperation with the authorities cannot be determined by medieval Sharia decisions, and there are no modern fatwas on this matter, analysts pointed out, commenting on the persecution of imams Tamaskhanov and Sultygov, accused of failure to report.

The "Caucasian Knot" also wrote that, according to lawyers, the case is being brought under the article on failure to report a crime, under which Ingush imams Muhammad Tamaskhanov and Magomed Sultygov, as a rule, rely on the testimony of witnesses, and the court most often supports the prosecution's version.