FSB investigator removes advocate Sapiyat Magomedova from Ashikov brothers' case

The head of the investigating team in charge of the investigation into a case against the Ashikov brothers and Omar Abdurashidov, accused of financing terrorists, ordered to remove Sapiyat Magomedova from the case. The investigators suggest that the advocate who earlier represented the interests of Omar Abdurashidov can no longer defend Raip and Ziyavudin Ashikov because of the conflict of interests.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the term of detention of Raip and Ziyavudin Ashikov, as well as Omar Abdurashidov, involved in the case on financing of terrorism and attempted murder of a law enforcer, was extended until February 11. Relatives and the defence of Omar Abdurashidov claim that law enforcers tortured him to force him to defame the Ashikov brothers.

On February 3, Sapiyat Magomedova reported that the head of the investigating team of the FSB Department for Dagestan issued a resolution to withdraw her from the participation in the criminal case against the Ashikov brothers and Omar Abdurashidov. According to the investigator, the interests of her clients, the Ashikov brothers, contradict the interests of Omar Abdurashidov, in whose defence the advocate also spoke at the initial stage.

Sapiyat Magomedova explained that she filed a complaint to the court about the FSB investigator's decision. The advocate treats her withdrawal as illegal and unreasonable, since there are no contradictions between the interests of the Ashikov brothers and Omar Abdurashidov, whom she defended at the initial stage.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on February 4, 2020 at 10:11 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.