Relatives of ex-Deputy Chief of Cherkessk Police, accused of beating detainee to death, declare his innocence

Ruslan Rakhaev, ex-Deputy Chief of Cherkessk Police, accused of beating to death a detainee, did not commit that crime. This was stated by his aunt Lydia Zhabelova and his sister Amina Kazakova from Nalchik. They conducted their own investigation and believe that the case against Ruslan Rakhaev bears signs of falsification. Rakhaev's lawyer believes that his client had no motive to commit the crime, of which he is charged. According to Adalbi Shkhagoshev, the State Duma Deputy, the version of Ruslan Rakhaev's relatives is worth attention of investigators.

According to Ruslan Rakhaev's relatives, persons, involved in murder of Djankezov, made every possible and impossible effort to hamper impartial investigation. Numerous amendments were made to the protocols of arrest.

"During our investigation, we revealed that Djankezov was beaten and tortured in one of the police points in Cherkessk. We know the names of policemen, who detained him and kept in the police point throughout the night. They asked Djankezov, who was suspected of committing a series of burglaries, to name his partner in crime. Djankezov gave such testimony, and his crime partner Djatdoev was detained at his home at the same night at 5:55 a.m. and charged of administrative violation," says Ruslan Rakhaev's aunt.

According to Adalbi Shkhagoshev, the State Duma deputy, investigation held by Lydia Zhabelova and Amina Kazakova deserves attention. He wrote about that in his appeal to Alexander Bastrykin, Chief of the Investigatory Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF).

According to Adalbi Shkhagoshev, the documents, that Lydia Zhabelova and Amina Kazakova managed to collect, including expert testimony, prove that Dakhir Djankezov got injuries incompatible with life prior to his delivery to the OVD (Interior Division) of the city of Cherkessk.

"The complainants indicate that the investigators do not check the circumstances noted by them, and this fact allows them to draw a conclusion about the ordered nature of the ongoing investigation," emphasizes Adalbi Shkhagoshev.

Oleg Kelemetov, the lawyer of the Kabardino-Balkarian Bar Association, who represents interests of Ruslan Rakhaev, states that he managed to reveal that his client used to be the staff member of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR) with an impeccable reputation and that he had awards and commendations.

According to the lawyer, the fact that the detention of Ruslan Rakhaev, who at that time still was the active law enforcement officer, was conducted by the special unit "Alfa", which had been given information that one of the leaders of the underground was hidden in the apartment, indicates that there was an attempt to eliminate him.

"I think that Ruslan Rakhaev, being an alien, was an innocent victim of the ongoing campaign to clean the MIA's structure," stated Oleg Kelemetov.