An hour before his own death, Chairman of STRC "Dagestan" spoke about Ilyas Shurpaev's murder in Moscow

An hour before his own murder, Chairman of the State Television and Radio Company (STRC) "Dagestan" Gaji Abashilov spoke about the journalist of Channel One Ilyas Shurpaev who was killed in Moscow. The investigatory bodies believe that Abashilov's murder can be related to his professional work.

"I can hardly speak now. A couple of hours ago, we together (with Gaji Abashilov, - comment of the "Caucasian Knot") were present at the condolence event on the murder of our colleague Ilyas Shurpaev. Gaji was distressed, he said so many words about Ilyas and asked when this all would be over at last. Then, we departed, he left - and then, in an hour or an hour and a half, this news," Salam Khavchaev, Deputy Chairman of the STRC "Dagestan", told to the state-run Internet Channel "Russia".

The murder of the Chairman of the STRC "Dagestan" Gaji Abashilov, accomplished today in Makhachkala, can be related to his professional work, Shamil Mutaev, deputy head of the Investigatory Division of the Investigatory Department of the Prosecutor's Office of the Russian Federation for Dagestan, told journalists in the incident venue.

A criminal case was initiated under Articles 105 ("Murder") and 222 ("Illegal fire-arms circulation") of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The emergency operative plan "Perekhvat" (Interception) was introduced in the city, however, it proved impossible to detain the criminals immediately, the RIA "Novosti" reports.

Chairman of the STRC "Dagestan" Gaji Abashilov perished today in the evening being shelled from automatic fire-arms in his car in the dwelling district in the central area of Makhachkala.

From the inflicted wounds the Chairman of the STRC died in situ. His driver was taken to hospital, where he is rendered the necessary help.

Gaji Abashilov was a well-known journalist in the Republic. For more than 10 years he had headed the popular Republic's weekly "Molodezh Dagestana" (Youth of Dagestan). He was in the post of the Director of the STRC "Dagestan" for a little over a year.