MAKHACHKALA, January 15 (RIA Novosti) – A judge of the Supreme Court of the Russian North Caucasus republic of Dagestan has been killed in the Dagestani capital Makhachkala, investigators said on Tuesday.
“An unknown assailant opened fire on Dagestan Supreme Court judge Magomed Magomedov at 20:00 Moscow Time on Tuesday,” a spokesman for the Investigative Committee said. “The judge died of wounds,” he said.
An investigation is underway. The Investigative Committee said the judge could have been killed because of his professional activity. He had often heard cases of militants.
The Islamist insurgency, once confined largely to Chechnya, has spread in recent years across the North Caucasus. Attacks on security forces, police and civilians are reported regularly in the neighboring republics of Dagestan and Ingushetia, as well as in Kabardino-Balkaria.
Fourteen judges were killed in Russia in 2009-2012. Nine of the murders have been solved.