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Attorneys of defendants in Nemtsov murder case point to violations in jury’s decision

Earlier on Thursday, jurors found all five defendants guilty

MOSCOW, June 29. /TASS/. Attorneys of the defendants charged with the murder of Russian politician Boris Nemtsov believe that there are some violations in the decision made by the jury members, so the verdict may be cancelled, defendant Zaur Dadayev Mark Kaverzin said.

"While delivering the verdict, the jury’s foreperson said ‘yes, guilty,’ but the copy of the verdict that we have been given says ‘yes, it has been proven.’ Such things are unacceptable and may lead to the cancellation of the verdict because the foreperson did not read out the written phrase," he said.

Earlier on Thursday, jurors found all five defendants guilty.

The attorney also pointed to violations in the voting order during filling in the question sheet. "While making a unanimous decision, they should have written ’12:0,’ but there is no such note. Besides, there is an unnumbered sheet. All this may become grounds for the cancellation of the verdict," Kaverzin said.

According to him, these violations will be reflected in the appeal.

Nemtsov murder case

Boris Nemtsov, former deputy prime minister under then-President Boris Yeltsin, co-chairman of the Parnas party and lawmaker of the Yaroslavl regional legislature, was gunned down in downtown Moscow on February 27, 2015. Five persons were arrested on March 8 last year on suspicion of murdering the politician: Zaur Dadayev, Anzor and Shadid Gubashev, Tamerlan Eskerkhanov and Khamzat Bakhayev who are believed to be the perpetrators of this criminal action.

Depending on their role and the degree of their involvement, they are pressed with charges under part 2, article 105 (contract murder committed by an organized group) and part 3, article 222 of Russia’s Criminal Code (illegal acquisition, transfer, storage, transportation and possession of firearms and ammunition by an organized group). Article 105 carries a punishment of up to life imprisonment.

According to investigators, Ruslan Mukhudinov, a former officer of the Chechen Sever (or North), is the organizer of the murder. Mukhudinov was charged in absentia. He has been on the international wanted list since November 2015.