10:24, 12 May 2004

Court martial acquits four commandos charged with murder

A North Caucasus district court martial has acquitted four commandos of the reconnaissance unit in the Russian armed forces' General Staff, citing lack of evidence. Captain Eduard Ulman, Lieutenant Alexander Kalagansky, Ensign Vladimir Voyevodin, and Major Alexei Perelevsky were charged with killing six people in the Shatoy District of Chechnya on January 2002.

According to Ulman's defense lawyer, Roman Krzhechkovsky, the court-martial has upheld a jury's April 29 decision to clear the four suspects of the murder charges. The jury did recognize the fact of the crime, but said it had been committed by other people. Ulman, who was in pretrial detention, has now been set free.

The relatives of those killed told the media they were going to appeal against the acquittal verdict.

Editors note: See also the article "Chechen intellectuals express stern protest against court decision in 'case of Ulman'".

Source: RIA Novosti