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Jury’s verdict in Nemtsov murder case delayed until June 29

The jury failed to deliver a verdict on Wednesday
Suspects in the murder of Boris Nemtsov during a trial at the Moscow District Military Court Mikhail Pochuyev/TASS
Suspects in the murder of Boris Nemtsov during a trial at the Moscow District Military Court
© Mikhail Pochuyev/TASS

MOSCOW, June 28. /TASS/. On Wednesday, the jury failed to deliver a verdict for five persons charged with the murder of Russian politician Boris Nemtsov, the jury foreperson told the judge in Moscow’s District Military Court.

"The jury members have got tired, we ask for a recess until tomorrow, June 29," she said. After that, Judge Yuri Zhitnikov announced a recess until 11:00 Moscow time on Thursday (08:00 GMT).

According to the jury foreperson, the jury members have been facing difficulties while filling in the question sheet. Besides, the jury members wanted the judge to clarify what the answer should be to the question concerning leniency and what they were to do if votes were divided evenly. The judge provided all the necessary clarifications saying that all the 12 jury members were obliged to vote. If their votes are divided, then the judge will make a decision in the defendant’s favor.

On June 29, the jury is expected to continue the debate and deliver a verdict.

On June 27, the jury’s debate lasted more than two hours, so the jury members had only one hour on Wednesday to make a unanimous decision. However, the decision was not made and the jury members began to vote.

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.