The court confirms the legality of criminal investigation concerning Ruslan Nahushev

CK correspondent Lyudmila Maratova reports that the court of Nalchik, the capital of Kabardino-Balkaria, refused to recognize illegal and unreasonable criminal investigation concerning Ruslan Nahushev, accused of terrorism propaganda, and terrorist activity, according to the Kabardino-Balkarian lawyer Anuar Dikinov.

As grounds for the decision the court specified, that the criminal case concerning Nahushev has been opened after two publications: One in the newspaper "Rossiyskaya Gazeta" and the second in "Northern Caucasus." The articles state that Nahushev R.B. "having created the so-called Kabardino-Balkarian Institute for Islamic Studies and being the coordinator of the so-called "Russian Islamic Heritage" organization from 2005, undertook measures to destabilize the situation in Kabardino-Balkaria".

The court had also quoted Nahushev: "First of all I will gather all the vahhabits of the republic. It is not hundreds, but thousands of young men who have appeared to be outlawed because they have been stigmatized. What for will I gather them? To discuss the purposes and problems of the movement, to plan our future work".

The court denied a challenge by the defendant's lawyer of insufficient evidence on the part of the Office of Criminal Prosecutor to bring charge, stating that only the court is competent to investigate and recognize a defendant's guilt or innocence.

The criminal case concerning Ruslan Nahushev, opened on October 19, 2005, is complicated and made suspect as on November 4, after interrogation in Kabardino-Balkaria FSB department he disappeared, and his whereabouts apparently remains unknown.