MOSCOW, October 24 (Itar-Tass) - Moscow city court on Thursday ruled as legitimate the arrest of Orkhan Zeinalov, suspected murderer of Moscow resident Yegor Shcherbakov, dismissing an application by the man's lawyers.

An earlier hearing had placed 30-year-old Zeinalov, from Azerbaijan, in custody until December 10. He is accused of murder for reasons of hooliganism and could be jailed for life if convicted. The suspect denies guilt.

Shcherbakov, 25, was stabbed in the heart during a street conflict in southeast Moscow's Zapadnoye Biryulovo district overnight to October 10.

The murder aroused mass public protests. On October 13, local residents rallied, demanding that the assailant be found and punished. This turned into mass unrest in which around 400 demonstrators were detained.

Zeinalov was found in the Moscow region town of Kolomna and brought to Moscow.

Details about the suspect

30-year old citizen of Azerbaijan Orkhan Zeinalov has been living in Russia for more than 10 years.

As reported by Russia’s Investigative Committee, Zeinalov hadn’t a full-time job and was engaged in individual taxi-driving. He is believed to be quick-tempered, aggressive, abusing alcohol, and doesn’t have a permanent residence in Moscow.

Head of Moscow Department of the Russian Ministry of Interior Anatoly Yakunin said that in Azerbaijan, the young man is wanted for murder. Law enforcement agencies of this country expressed readiness to help their Russian colleagues in the investigation.

Murder of 25-year-old Muscovite

Egor Shcherbakov was killed overnight to October 10. An unidentified man repeatedly stabbed him in front of his girlfriend.

After that, a meeting of citizens was held in Western Biryulyovo, at which the locals demanded to find and punish the murderer of the young man, and to check all migrants living in the area. After the public gathering a group of young people, shouting nationalist slogans, attacked the Biryuza shopping mall. They also began to turn over and break cars. The protesters managed to break in the horticulture base. After the clashes the police detained about 400 people.

Over 70 of them were brought to administrative responsibility. Two persons have been arrested for 48 hours.