Former Dagestan People's Assembly deputy Umakhanov has been arrested in absentia.

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A Moscow court has arrested in absentia former Dagestan People's Assembly deputy Akhmedpasha Umakhanov, who is the older brother of State Duma deputy Saigidpasha Umakhanov. He has been placed on the international wanted list for allegedly organizing a criminal organization.

The Basmanny District Court of Moscow has arrested Akhmedpasha Umakhanov, a former member of the People's Assembly of Dagestan and the older brother of State Duma deputy Saigidpasha Umakhanov, in absentia. The Moscow City Court rejected the defense's appeal and upheld the decision.

Akhmedpasha Umakhanov has been arrested for two months from the date of his extradition from abroad or actual detention in Russia. He is wanted by Interpol. He was previously also placed on the federal wanted list, Kommersant reported on June 16.

Security forces searched Umakhanov's home in Khasavyurt and seized documents, but Umakhanov himself had long since left the country, citing the need for medical treatment. He was charged in absentia with organizing a criminal organization (Part 1 of Article 210 of the Russian Criminal Code), which included several individuals, three of whom have been identified.

The organization, according to case materials, operated in Dagestan in the early 2000s, committing serious and especially serious crimes, including several murders, as well as illegal arms and ammunition trafficking.

In attempting to challenge the decision to arrest him in absentia, Umakhanov's defense attempted to point out that the court failed to take into account Umakhanov's personality and health, but the court did not heed the defense's arguments.

Saigidpasha Umakhanov is a State Duma deputy and a member of the United Russia party faction. He previously served as the head of the Khasavyurt city administration, the Minister of Industry, Energy, and Communications of Dagestan, and the plenipotentiary representative of the head of Dagestan in the Northern Territorial District. He is also an Honored Coach of the Russian Federation in freestyle wrestling, according to his biography on his official website.

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