Dagestan Mayor on Murder Charge Appeals Arrest Order

MOSCOW, June 5 (RAPSI) – Defense lawyers acting for Makhachkala Mayor Said Amirov, who was detained last weekend on suspicion of ordering the assassination of a police investigator in 2011, has appealed a Moscow court’s decision to hold him under arrest, his attorney Mark Kruter told RAPSI on Wednesday.

His appeal has not yet been registered with the court, however, a court spokesman said.

Amirov has been the mayor of Makhachkala, the capital of the southern Russian region of Dagestan, since 1998. He was arrested on June 1 and flown to Moscow, where he was taken into custody on suspicion of ordering the murder of investigator Arsen Gadzhibekov. He denies the charges.

Murder charges were officially brought against him on Tuesday.

Investigators believe Amirov ordered the assassination, which was organized by Magomed Abdulgalimov, the assistant city prosecutor of Kizlyar, together with the Deputy Mayor of Kaspiysk Yusup Dzhaparov and Kirovsky District police investigator Magomed Akhmedov. The murder was carried out by Magomed Kadiyev, the Investigative Committee said.

The authorities have arrested 11 people in connection with this case and have said more suspects may be involved.

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