The YABLOKO party has been closely following the trial on the
murder of Farid Babayev, the leader of the Dagestan YABLOKO
and a human rights activist.
On June 4, 2009, the Penal Chamber of the Supreme Court of
Russia abrogated the previous decision of the Jury and a sentence
passed against Rasil Mamedrizayev and Seferali Sefemerzoyev
and returned the case to another trial by a new composition
of the Jury. It is expected that a new sentence against the
culprits will be passed soon.
The YABLOKO party has several times expressed its concern
over open pressure applied by the interested side to the witnesses
and the Jury , and consequently they either changed or refused
from their previous testimony against the culprits.
Thus, during the first trial the key witness who had seen
one of the culprits – Mamedrizayev – close to the murder scene
with a gun in his hand made a statement in the court that
he had been pressed and insisted on provision of protection
to him and his family. On October 30, 2008 the family of Farid
Babayev and their barristers released a public statement running
that the brothers of Sedredin Kanberov (put on a wanted list
as the one who had ordered the murder) pressed the witnesses.
During the second trial the key witness failed to come to
court for a long time and then the public prosecutor stated
that he and his family left for Uzbekistan and read out the
testimony the witness had given during the preliminary examination
and the first trial.
We think that all this demonstrates obvious failure of the
law enforcement and the bodies of inquiry to ensure security
of the key witnesses in this loud political murder case.
The YABLOKO party expresses its hope that the executors and
those who ordered the murder of Farid Babyev will face a just
punishment.
Sergei Mitrokhin,
Chair of the YABLOKO party
***
The leader of Dagestan YABLOKO, number one in the election
list of the party in Dagestan, Farid Babayev was gunned in
the entrance of his block of flats on November 21, 2007, several
days prior to the State Duma election. Doctors fought for
his life for three days, but Farid died on November 24.
Farid Babayev was human rights activist, he defended constitutional
rights of the citizens of Dagestan investigating the
case of shooting of the rally of the residents of Dokuzparinsky
Distrcit which took place in 2006, he also abruptly criticized
the arbitrary actions of the local authorities protesting
against corruption, murders and kidnapping.
Farid has four children.
See also:
The
Murder of Farid Babayev
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