Court extends arrest of Chechnya natives accused of preparing a terror act in Moscow

On July 4, the Lefortovo Court of Moscow made a decision to extend till October 8 the arrest term of three Chechnya natives (Umar Batukaev, Ruslan Musaev and Lors Khamiev), accused of preparing a terror act in the Russian capital on the Victory Day, the newspaper "Kommersant" writes.

By satisfying the petition of the FSB (Federal Security Bureau), the judge has enumerated the Articles of the Criminal Code (CC) incriminated to the defendants. Among them, apart from already known ones on participation in an organized criminal community, preparation of an act of terrorism and weapon possession, Article 277 of the CC was also mentioned - "Preparation of an attempt on a state or public figure."

The defendants' advocates have refrained from any detailed comments by referring to their obligation of nondisclosure, but noted that the charge of an attempt preparation is first of all aimed at weakening the defence position and deprivation of defendants' support from their homeland.

It became clear from conversations with the defendants' relatives that during interrogations on the case President of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov was mentioned as a potential victim of the supposed terror act.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported earlier that in the opinion of Svetlana Gannushkina, Chair of the "Civil Assistance" Committee and a Board member of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial," detention of Batukaev looks very much like a falsification.

Human rights activists also assert that tortures have been applied to the detainees.