Trial on attack on Nalchik postponed till June 24

The court session of the Supreme Court of Kabardino-Balkaria on the trial of the militants' attack on Nalchik accomplished in October 2005 has been postponed till June 24. Advocate Elizabeth Shak has informed the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that the reason of the delay was another fact of beating the defendants by the escort.

"Today, we couldn't even start considering the case because two defendants - Zaur Tokhov and Rasul Khulamkhanov - were violently beaten by escort guards. Mr Khulamkhanov has his pelvis wounded, he could not sit at the process, an ambulance was called to help him, and doctors made an anesthetizing injection," the lawyer said.

She has also informed that all the advocates wrote petitions to trial chair M. Tashuev stating that should no measures taken to the escort, the lawyers would refuse to take part in the process.

We remind you that before judicial session on June 11 three other defendants - Urusov, Kuchmenov and Mashukov - were also beaten. Mashukov had a leg trauma. Urusov and Kuchmenov were beaten earlier.

It has become known to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that the reason of beating is the defendants' refusal to squat naked during search before they are escorted to the courtroom; besides, this is not stipulated by the rules of prisoners' search.