Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
The state prosecutor asked for the testimony of several prosecution witnesses to be read in court in the case of the journalist of the Chernovik newspaper Abdulmumin Hajiyev, accused of financing terrorism, referring to the fact that they are outside Dagestan. The court asked the prosecutor to provide certificates of witnesses crossing the border.
As "Caucasian Knot" wrote, the journalist of the Dagestan newspaper "Chernovik" Abdulmumin Hajiyev, as well as the head of the charitable foundation "Ansar" Abubakar Rizvanov and Kemal Tambiev were detained in connection with the financing of terrorism.
The court in Rostov-on-Don extended the arrest of Gadzhiev until January 28, 2022. On October 14, the former imam of the Makhachkala mosque, Magomedrasul Saaduev, presented by the prosecution as a witness, stated in court that he knew nothing about Hajiyev's radical views. The refusal of a number of witnesses from their testimonies, which are included in the case by the investigation, can help the accused, the lawyer said.
According to investigators, the journalist of the Dagestani newspaper Abdulmumin Hajiyev, Abubakar Rizvanov and Kemal Tambiev collected 68 million rubles and $200,000 for the terrorists under the pretext of building mosques and helping poor Muslims.
The investigation connects them with a Dagestani preacher and founder of the Islamic foundation "Mukhadzhirun," known as Abu Umar Sasitlinsky, who is wanted in a terrorism case. All three are in custody in the Rostov-on-Don pre-trial detention center. Hajiyev insists on his innocence, and his colleagues consider the criminal case to be a way of putting pressure on the journalist.
On October 28, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don continued the consideration of the case of Gadzhiev, Rizvanov and Tambiev. There were no relatives or anyone from the defendants' support group at the meeting, the only visitors were two media representatives, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reported.
It was planned that at least one of the classified witnesses would be questioned at the meeting via video link with the garrison military court in Makhachkala, but he could not arrive on time, as according to the state prosecutor Murad Aliyev, due washed out roads near his residence.
In connection with the absence of the witness, Aliyev asked to read out the testimony of the remaining witnesses for the prosecution. According to him, witnesses Aida Khaita and Anna Papushina "are in prison in the Far North," witnesses Huseyn Dingaev and Askhab Dzharbayev are in Turkey, a number of witnesses, including the imam of the Central Mosque of Kislovodsk Aslan Shamanov, imam of the Khasavyurt Central Mosque Ilyas Umalatov, previously convicted Shamil Kadyrov and three other people "are now outside the republic."
Therefore, the prosecutor's office cannot establish their whereabouts.
The defendants opposed the reading out of their testimonies.
"This is unfair: the investigators questioned these people, but we cannot ask them our questions? If these testimonies are insignificant, then let the prosecutor's office refuse them," Abubakar Rizvanov said.
He pointed out that witness Kadyrov was sentenced to eight years, so he cannot "be outside the republic."
On June 26, 2019, the North Caucasian (now Southern) military court found Shamil Kadyrov, a resident of Dagestan, guilty of complicity in the financing of terrorism and sentenced him to eight years in prison.
According to the prosecution, he transferred over 800,000 rubles to members of the Islamic State terrorist organization, banned in Russia by the court. He did not admit his guilt. In November 2019, the Russian Supreme Court upheld the sentence to Shamil Kadyrov.
The rest of the defendants, as well as their lawyers, spoke out against the announcement of their testimonies. As a result, the panel of judges refused the prosecutor's application, asking him to provide certificates of witnesses crossing the Russian border.
The presiding judge also reminded the prosecutor that on October 28, it was exactly one year since the case came to court, and that "questions may arise" to the prosecution.
The next court session is scheduled for 1000hrs Moscow time on December 2. Several witnesses are expected to be questioned on this day.
The "Caucasian Knot" also wrote that single pickets are regularly held in Makhachkala in support of the "Chernovik" journalist Abdulmumin Hajiyev. His colleagues consider cases of pressure on the media and criminal prosecution of journalists to be an all-Russian trend.
On October 18, four single pickets demanding the release of Hajiyev, political prisoners and in support of freedom of the press, which were held in Makhachkala by the journalist's colleagues, attracted the attention of passers-by and the police.
The security forces demanded an explanation from the picketers . Expressing one's opinion through a single picket does not contradict the current legislation, said the founder of "Chernovik" Magdi Kamalov.
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