Statement by Umarov's relatives gives rise to inquiry in Chechnya

The video appeal made by relatives of the blogger, Mamikhan Umarov, killed in Vienna, cannot be equated to a confession, but should trigger a check of their involvement in the crime. Such a check should be conducted by Chechen law enforcers, the advocates interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" believe.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on July 22, a video was made public in which the Mamikhan Umarov's relatives, living in Chechnya, apologized for the statement voiced by the blogger during his lifetime. The men declared themselves guilty of the Mamikhan Umarov's murder.

The relatives' statement about their involvement in Mamikhan's murder is not surrender, Alexander Peredruk, a lawyer and a senior partner of the human rights project "Protest Apologies", believes.

He has added, however, that investigators have no chance to check the involvement of certain persons in the crime.

A statement of involvement in the murder does not mean a confession or surrender, Karen Nersisyan, a lawyer and a member of the Moscow Bar Association, has confirmed. "To do this, they must write a confession with a detailed account of the murder details. For now, this is just a statement, just words," Mr Nersisyan told the "Caucasian Knot".

He is sure that the logical reaction of Russian law enforcers will be to invite these men to the police station for explanations. "Maybe they will provide such details, on the basis of which it will be possible to open a criminal case and find them guilty. But here a factor should be taken into account that this should be done by local, Chechen law enforcers, and [such a development of events] seems unlikely to me in this situation," Karen Nersisyan has concluded.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on July 23, 2020 at 09:43 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.