SC ignores proofs of falsification of terrorist case against residents of Dagestan

The Russia's Supreme Court (SC) has treated the complaints about the falsification of the criminal case and torture of the residents of the Agulsky District (Dagestan) convicted under the case of activities of a terrorist community and an illegal armed formation (IAF) as untenable; it refused to cancel the verdict, but has slightly reduced the prison terms of Rakhmatula Magomedov and Gadad Ramazanov.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on May 31, 2021, the Southern District Military Court sentenced Ramazan Tagriverdiev, Ramazan Kurbanov, Rakhmatula Magomedov and Gadad Ramazanov to imprisonment for 10-18 years. The court disregarded the figurants' statements that their confessions were obtained under torture, their advocates claimed.

According to investigators, in May 2015, in the village of Tpig, Magomedov and Ramazanov formed an IAF to engage in terrorism. In June 2016, Tagriverdiev and Kurbanov joined it. According to the prosecution, the grouping is involved in extorting a million roubles from a local resident, setting fire to alcohol stores and stealing property. The IAF members also prepared assassination attempts on law enforcers and the head of the Agulsky District, but this was prevented by their detention, investigators asserted.

The confessions given by the defendants at the start of the inquiry were obtained "in violation of the norms of the law and falsified," Tagir Saadulaev, one of the advocates stated then.

The defendants complained about pressure and torture with electricity, but according to the results of the checks, no one was held accountable, Israfil Gadadov, another advocate, has added.