In case of caliphate in Kabardino-Balkaria, two witnesses retract their statements

Witnesses, who testified at trial in the case of an attempt to create a Sharia state in Kabardino-Balkaria, have retracted their statements that they allegedly saw how grenades and other items of physical evidence had been seized from detainee Kantemir Zheldashev.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in August, the court received the criminal case against 10 residents of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR), accused of an attempt to create in their republic a caliphate with Sharia form of government. On September 30, a witness did not confirm the relationship of the defendants with Anzor Khabegov, a suspected commander of an illegal armed formation (IAF).

Today, at the meeting of the North-Caucasian District Military Court three witnesses were questioned via video conference from the Nalchik Garrison Court.

Asker Khabegov, a brother of Anzor Khabegov, killed in a special operation, has said that he did not know anyone from the list of defendants and victims. According to him, he never saw his brother introducing extremist materials to anyone.

Nuretdin Iskanderov, another witness, has retracted his statement that law enforcers seized a grenade out of the Kantemir Zheldashev's pocket.

Witness Ali Musukov has explained his signing the protocol on seizure from Kantemir Zheldashev of a grenade and other items by the fact that he did not understand the protocol of his own questioning because of his poor knowledge of the Russian language.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.