Tomorrow, trial on events on October 13, 2005, in Kabardino-Balkaria will continue

On April 23, the Supreme Court of Kabardino-Balkaria will continue considering the case on events on October 13, 2005, in Nalchik. It is not excluded that the verdict will be passed at last, anticipated by the public for three and a half years already.

The "Caucasian Knot" reported earlier that 58 persons are in the prisoner's dock. They are accused of grave and especially grave crimes.

On October 13, 2005, Nalchik was attacked by armed persons, as a result of which 35 law enforcers, 14 peaceful citizens and 92 militants were lost. Later, detention of suspects of involvement in the events of autumn 2005 continued.

On October 23, 2005, Rasul Kudaev was detained on suspicion of attacking the post of State Traffic Inspectorate (known as "GIBDD") located at the entrance to Khasanya village near Nalchik. Until now, Kudaev is kept at the temporary custody facility (SIZO) in Nalchik. Kudaev and his mother stated that he was tortured.

In December 2006, the newspaper "Kabardino-Balkarskaya Pravda" published the "Appeal of former members of IAFs (illegal armed formations) who voluntarily surrendered". "Dragged into someone's political and economic games, we found ourselves on the false road named 'jihad'. A true Moslem would never go against his nation and co-believers with arms in hand," said the statement of participants of the attack on Nalchik.

In January 2007, 12 persons were amnestied, who figured in the case on Nalchik attack on October 13, 2005. Their amnesty was announced by the State Duma of the Russian Federation in October 2006.

In June 2007, the end of investigation was declared of the criminal case on an attack on the objects in the capital of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR).

On October 29, 2007, the Kabardino-Balkarian human rights centre received five applications from relatives of the defendants in the case about the attack on KBR's power agencies on October 13, 2005, asking to help in defending their rights. The applications were accompanied by prisoners' letters telling about torture and beatings applied to them right after detention two years ago. The inmates insist that all the evidences were knocked out of them under pressure, torture and threat of murder.

On February 15, 2008, Valery Bolov, one of the defendants in the case on Nalchik attack, died from liver cirrhosis. On March 5, defendant Zaur Tokhov stated that SIZO employees tried to strangle him, and he named his torturers. However, officials from the Investigatory Committee declared refusal to initiate a criminal case.