Prosecution to appeal against jury's verdict on Politkovskaya's case

The defendants in Anna Politkovskaya's murder case promise to claim compensation for their long months in custody, while the prosecution states its intention to appeal against today's jurymen's verdict.

"We'll go to court for compensation of damage; our clients have spent so much time behind bars," said Murad Musaev, advocate of one of Mahmudov brothers.

"Justice has triumphed," Mr Musaev told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. "In this country, our clients could be acquitted only by a jury. Only jurymen could force our tough judicial system to fail. Today, the judge has demonstrated, in his parting word to jurymen, his solidarity with the prosecution."

Meanwhile, tomorrow, on February 20, the Moscow Regional Military Court is expected to announce the verdict, which, according to Russian legislation, can only be a sentence of acquittal.

The General Prosecutor's Office has stated its intention to appeal against the judgement.

"Naturally, we'll appeal to the cassation instance with a complaint against the violations made during the trial," State Prosecutor Yulia Safina told journalists today after announcement of the jury's verdict.

However, advocates are sure that the prosecution will fail to imprison their clients.

"Even if the case will be re-investigated, the inspectors will never present any new evidences," Andrei Litvin, advocate of Sergey Hadzhikurbanov, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Valery Chernikov, Pavel Ryaguzov's advocate, has agreed with his colleague. "It's difficult to find what is inexistent," he said.

It is remarkable that journalists of the "Novaya Gazeta" did not agree with the jurymen's verdict.

"We respect the jury's decision," Sergey Sokolov, chief editor of the "Novaya Gazeta", told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. "However, we still stick to our viewpoint: the people acquitted today had to do with the murder."

According to his story, the paper journalists have information confirming their involvement in the crime; however, it cannot be used in court.

"The acquittal of these persons is not the inquiry's guilt," said Mr Sokolov. "Inspectors could not just work properly, as, in particular, resistance was caused from inside the system of law enforcement bodies, since there are power agents among the defendants."

We remind you that today jurymen have unanimously acquitted brothers Dzhabrail and Ibragim Makhmudovs, Sergey Hadzhikurbanov, former of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Pavel Ryaguzov, former FSB officer, who had been defendants in the murder case of Anna Politkovskaya, journalist of the "Novaya Gazeta". All of them were set free right in the courtroom, after the judge has announced cancellation of their custody.