Khashagulgov not yet charged of organizing terror act in Vladikavkaz, lawyers say

The boss of the FSB was too impatient to accuse Issa Khashagulgov, a resident of Ingushetia, of organizing the terror act at the central marketplace of Vladikavkaz; he is still in the status of a suspect, Khashagulgov's advocates assert.

As previously reported by the "Caucasian Knot", in the morning on September 9, a suicide bomber, who was driving a Volga car, triggered a powerful self-made bomb at the entrance to the central marketplace of Vladikavkaz. Apart from the suicide bomber, the explosion killed 19 persons and wounded over 160. Today, Alexander Bortnikov, director of the Russian FSB, stated that the terror act was organized by a resident of Ingushetia Issa Khashagulgov.

"The official charge will be presented before October 25; it was not done yet. What was the need and purpose to announce him to be the organizer of the terror act in Vladikavkaz is beyond our competence," the advocates, according to whom Khashagulgov had nothing to do with the terror act in Vladikavkaz, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Pyatimat Khashagulgova, suspect's wife, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that she did not understand what was happening. "Today in the morning, advocates went to the investigator," she said and added that she and the advocates had learnt about charges against Issa from the media.

Beckham Atigov, Acting Secretary of the Security Council of the Republic of Ingushetia, said that they had received no information about this situation yet.

Magomed Mutsolgov, a human rights activist and head of the NGO named "Mashr", told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that he was sceptical to the FSB statement about Khashagulgov's guilt.

"All the problems in the Caucasus stem from the fact that leaders of power agencies consider themselves to be above the law, and all the people - outside the law. We certainly continue helping all those who approach us; it does not allow us to give up. But the situation is catastrophic," said the human rights activist.