10:23, 19 May 2008

At trial on attack on the capital of Kabardino-Balkaria, the defence questions candidates for jurymen

Today, at the trial on the events on October 13, 2005, the Supreme Court of Kabardino-Balkaria continued to select future jurymen. The defence party has finished questioning the candidates.

"Tomorrow, future jurymen will be questioned by the accusing party," Liza Shak has noted. "There are now 31 persons left as candidates for the jury. The rest of them have self-disqualified," she added.

Today, two defendants have stated that they were beaten by sentries.

One of them, Ruslan Kuchmenov, is going to lodge a complaint to the public prosecutor on this occasion and undergo a medical examination.

According to Liza Shak, the cause of the beating was the fact that prior to convoying to the courtroom the defendants are forced to take off all their clothes and squat like that. Many of them refuse to perform this procedure and are beaten and punished for that.

"Currently, defendant Khubolov has been placed into dungeon for refusal to strip down," Liza Shak said.

Author: Luiza Orazayeva, CK correspondent