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Russia court begins retrial of suspects acquitted of Politkovskaya murder

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] The Moscow Military District Court on Wednesday began the retrial of three men acquitted of involvement in the 2006 shooting death of journalist Anna Politkovskaya. The Russian Supreme Court ordered the retrial of Sergei Khadzhikurbanov, Dzhabrail Makhmudov, and Ibragim Makhmudov in June after prosecutors argued the trial judge made procedural errors. As Wednesday's trial opened before a new judge, the prosecutor petitioned to combine the case with an investigation against other suspects, including Rustam Makhmudov, the brother of Dzhabrail and Ibragim, who is thought to be in hiding under an alias. Proceedings were adjourned until Friday, at which time Judge Nikolai Tkachuk is expected to rule on the prosecutor's petition. Khadzhikurbanov, Dzhabrail Makhmudov, and Ibragim Makhmudov were acquitted in February after a jury found that the evidence against the three was not enough to support convictions. A week later, prosecutors appealed the acquittals. In November 2008, the Russian Prosecutor General's Office requested a new judge, claiming that Moscow Military District Court judge Yevgeny Zubov had violated procedural rules. Zubov refused to recuse himself from the trial. Khadzhikurbanov, Dzhabrail Makhmudov, and Ibragim Makhmudov were arrested in August 2007 in connection with Politkovskaya's slaying.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on August 05, 2009 (boomark / email).