Abdulmumin Gadjiev left in custody for other two months

The court refused to transfer Abdulmumin Gadjiev, a journalist of the Dagestani newspaper "Chernovik"(Draft), under house arrest and extended his detention in custody until March 13, 2020.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Abdulmumin Gadjiev has been kept under the arrest since June in a case on financing of terrorism. Human rights defenders called the case against Abdulmumin Gadjiev a threat to all journalists in Russia, and the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" recognized him as a political prisoner.

On December 31, the Sovetsky District Court of Makhachkala granted a motion filed by investigators and left Abdulmumin Gadjiev in custody until March 13, 2020. The defence requested to transfer the defendant under house arrest. According to the court, if the pre-trial restriction measure is changed, Abdulmumin Gadjiev may hide from the investigators and destroy evidence and otherwise influence the course of the criminal case. The judge has also noted the need for investigative actions listed in the motion of the investigator.

Advocate Arsen Shabanov has informed the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that the defence will challenge the court's decision.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on December 31, 2019 at 03:47 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.