German journalists learn about transfer of suspect of killing Khangoshvili under guard

A Russian suspected of assassinating Zelimkhan Khangoshvili has been transferred from the Moabit Prison into the high security prison in Tegel. The decision was made by employees of the State Criminal Investigation Department: they received information that the killer is in danger of liquidation, the "Berliner Morgenpost" newspaper has written.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, a native of the Pankisi Gorge, who participated in the second Chechen campaign, was shot dead in Berlin on August 23. A 49-year-old Russian citizen was arrested on suspicion of the murder.

Fears for the life of the alleged killer are caused by the fact that German investigators associate the murder customers with Russian special services. "Since he has survived and was captured, he now poses a threat to the murder customers," says the newspaper.

German mass media are still linking the Khangoshvili's murder with Chechnya. The article published by the "Bild" on December 5 stated that Chechen authorities treat Khangoshvili as involved in the murder of Akhmat Kadyrov.

The authors of the latter publication draw attention to the fact that Khangoshvili was shot dead in Berlin on August 23, the birthday of Akhmat Kadyrov; and the Chechen field commander, Shamil Basaev, whose associate was Khangoshvili, had claimed responsibility for Akhmat Kadyrov's murder in 2004.

German special services do not rule out that other killers could have been sent to Europe with the mission to liquidate other former leaders of Chechen militants. They began examining Russian citizens for the list of pseudonyms under which these agents might be hiding.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on December 6, 2019 at 10:30 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.