Prosecution witness claims being pressed during investigation of "caliphate case"

At the trial in the case of an attempt to create a caliphate in Kabardino-Balkaria, Inna Urchukova, a prosecution witness, said she was not aware of the defendants' relationship with the armed underground. The prosecution witness has retracted her testimony given during the preliminary investigation.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in August, the case against 10 residents of Kabardino-Balkaria accused of trying to set up a caliphate in the republic with Sharia form of government came to the court. At the court hearing, the defendants pleaded not guilty.

On October 27, in Rostov-on-Don, at the court hearing of the North-Caucasian District Military Court, public prosecutor asked witness Inna Urchukova to explain why her testimony given at the trial appeared to be radically different from her testimony given to investigators.

Inna Urchukova has replied that her testimony was changed by investigators during questioning.

The woman has claimed that during the questioning, she was subjected to psychological pressure from law enforcers, who, according to the witness, visited her at home, intimidated and threatened to imprison her.

"I've been told that it is too easy to become a defendant instead of a witness. I was scared, and so I had to sign the questioning protocols," said Inna Urchukova.

"Why were you scared if you had not been involved in illegal activities and did know no fault of yours?" asked the judge.

Inna Urchukova answered that she had before her eyes an example of the arrested guys who were imprisoned "for nothing."

Finally, Inna Urchukova has noted that she specially arrived in Rostov-on-Don to tell the truth. She has called on the court to believe her testimony given at the courtroom and not that given by her during the preliminary investigation.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.