Those accused of murdering the editor-in-chief of Chernovik are insisting on overturning the sentence

Lawyers for those convicted in the murder of Khadzhimurad Kamalov, editor-in-chief of the Dagestani newspaper "Chernovik," are appealing the cassation ruling of the Military Collegium of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, which upheld their sentence. 

As reported by the " Caucasian Knot ," the Military Collegium of the Supreme Court of Russia rejected the cassation appeals of those involved in the murder of Dagestani journalist and editor-in-chief of the newspaper "Chernovik," Khadzhimurad Kamalov. Only three convicted men filed appeals: Shamil Isayev, who was convicted of instigating the crime, and two of the actual perpetrators, Murad Shuaibov and Magomed Khazamov. Another convicted man, Magomed Abigasanov, did not file an appeal.

The Supreme Court's Military Collegium's cassation ruling, which rejected the appeals of those convicted in the case of the murder of Khadzhimurad Kamalov, editor-in-chief of the Dagestani newspaper Chernovik, will be appealed, the defendants' lawyers told the "Caucasian Knot." 

Magomed Khazamov's lawyer, Kirill Skarabevsky, is preparing a supervisory appeal against this ruling to the Presidium of the Supreme Court. He claims the court ignored his client's alibi, which was confirmed by the investigative authorities. 

"And then, after some investigators found evidence of an alibi, other employees of the same Investigative Committee hid or destroyed this evidence. Many documents disappeared from the criminal case," he said. 

According to Skarabevsky, Khadzhimurad Kamalov's brother, Magdi Kamalov, founder of Chernovik, participated in the cassation court hearing via video link.

Asad Dzhabirov, the lawyer for Murad Shuaibov, who died in prison, also announced that he would appeal the ruling. According to the official version, Shuaibov committed suicide in custody. "I have the appropriate authority from my family; I received it not simply to file a complaint, but to see this matter through to the end," he noted. 

Magomed Magomedov, deputy editor-in-chief of Chernovik, told the Caucasian Knot that he doesn't believe the Supreme Court's Military Collegium's decision was correct. At the same time, he believes the three defendants who filed appeals are innocent. "I believe these people were not involved in the murder," he stated, emphasizing that, according to his sources, Magdi Kamalov also believes the same.

The editorial board of Chernovik and Magdi Kamalov previously disputed the court's findings: Kamalov claimed that the investigation ignored his arguments and that the case was pursued solely to put  Isaev in prison. According to the editorial board, the murder remains unsolved, according to a Caucasian Knot report titled " Chernovik": Threats, Criminal Cases, and the Editor-in-Chief's Murder ."