Press Release, 04.08.2014

YABLOKO leader Sergei Mitrokhin forwarded an appeal to head of the Investigative Committee demanding to start a criminal case on the murder of 26 year old journalist, YABLOKO candidate for the Kabardino-Balkaria parliament deputy Timur Kuashev.

The journalist was gone on July 31 and the next day the workers of the Rescue Service found his body was in a forest by the road. An expertise didn’t find the cause of death.

The crime took place three days ago but a criminal case hasn’t been filed yet. What is more, according to Interfax newspaper, representatives of the Investigative Committee in the Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria don’t consider that Timur Kuashev was murdered.

“It’s known that Timur was threatened more than once, his public and journalist activity in the North Caucasus was not safe and could be the reason for an attempt on Timur Kuashev’s life”, runs Mitrokhin’s letter to the Investigative Committee.

Kuashev’s family and friends think the same. Abdullah Duduyev, the Editor-in-Chief of the “Dosh” magazine, said that Timur had told him about the threats. Timur appeal to police but they refused to file a criminal case. Moreover, an injection track was found on Timur’s body which is another proof of the theory that Timur was murdered, so the case should be investigated carefully.

Mitrokhin is certain that the details of Kuashev’s death should be brought to light during the investigation of a criminal case. He demanded from head of the Investigative Committee Bastrikin to take the case under his personal control and sent investigators from Moscow to the Republic of Kabardino-Kalkaria.

Timur Kuashev was buried in Nalchik on August 2.

See also:
Human rights defenders and Timur Kaushev’s family claim he was murdered on political grounds