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Moscow court upholds arrest in absentia of suspected mastermind of Nemtsov murder

According to an investigator at Moscow’s Basmanny Court, the guilt of Ruslan Mukhudinov in organizing the murder of politician Boris Nemtsov is confirmed by testimony of defendants
Flowers and candles left at a portrait of Russia’s opposition politician Boris Nemtsov murdered in central Moscow Sergei Savostianov/TASS
Flowers and candles left at a portrait of Russia’s opposition politician Boris Nemtsov murdered in central Moscow
© Sergei Savostianov/TASS

MOSCOW, December 16. /TASS/. The Moscow City Court upheld on Wednesday the arrest in absentia of Ruslan Mukhudinov, the suspected mastermind of the murder of Russia’s opposition politician Boris Nemtsov.

"The court rules to uphold the decision of Moscow’s Basmanny court to apply arrest in absentia as the restraint measure to Mukhudinov and dismiss the defence appeal," the Moscow City Court judge said.

Mukhudinov’s lawyer requested to revoke the court decision on the arrest in absentia as ungrounded.

On November 18, the court granted the investigator’s request to place Mukhudinov under arrest in absentia. According to the law, the time of the two-month arrest will be reckoned form the moment of the suspect’s actual detention.

Previously, an investigator at Moscow’s Basmanny Court said that the guilt of Ruslan Mukhudinov in organizing the murder of politician Boris Nemtsov is confirmed by testimony of defendants. "Mukhudinov’s guilt is confirmed by confessionary statements of accused persons, as well as by other materials in the case," he said.

According to investigators, Mukhudinov could illegally leave Russia using a false passport. Presumably, he is staying in the United Arab Emirates. He has been put on the federal and international wanted lists. He has also been charged in absentia with the organisation of the murder.

Co-chairman of the opposition party PARNAS Boris Nemtsov was gunned down in the center of Moscow in the evening on February 27. Zaur Dadaev whom investigators consider the killer, Khamzat Bakhaev, Anzor Gubashev, Shadid Gubashev and Tamerlan Eskerkhanov have been arrested over Nemtsov’s murder.