Gadjiev's colleague treats refusal to grant public defender's status as violation

The Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don has rejected the journalist Idris Yusupov's petitions to grant him the status of a public defender at the trial of Abdulmumin Gadjiev; Kemal Tambiev's wife was also rejected. The refusal to bring public defenders into the case has no legal grounds, Mr Yusupov has pointed out.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that pickets in support of Abdulmumin Gadjiev are held weekly in Makhachkala.

A defendant has the right to attract a specialist of any profile as his public defender, for whom a legal education is not required, Idris Yusupov has explained.

He is not planning to re-apply for the status of a public defender, as he is sure that the motion will be rejected again. Idris Yusupov has suggested that the court rejected his petition due to the court's unwillingness to have a journalist in the courtroom as a public defender.

Laura Kurdjieva, Kemal Tambiev's wife, has applied for a public defender's status earlier this year, but the court rejected it, after which the woman has no longer applied for the status.

The obtaining the public defender's status amid the restrictions on attending court sessions and a ban on visiting the defendants is not a priority also for Gadjiev's wife, Dana Sakieva.

Gadjiev's colleagues have no hope for a fair verdict and fear the closure of the "Chernovik" (Draft) weekly after the trial, the "Novaya Gazeta" has found out.