Omarov confirmed his defense's version in his final words.

The taxi driver from Grozny, Said-Magomed Omarov, accused of murdering the pharmacist from Dagestan, Alexei Kardashov, spoke in court with his final words and apologized to the mother of the deceased.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", during the debates in the Gudermes City Court, the prosecution representative requested 10 years of imprisonment for Said-Magomed Omarov, accused of murdering the pharmacist from Dagestan, Alexei Kardashov. Omarov's defense confirms his conflict with Kardashov but insists that he was acting in self-defense: allegedly, Kardashov attacked him, Omarov struck back, then got scared, put the body in the car, and disposed of it from a height.

Said-Magomed Omarov delivered his final words at the session of the Gudermes City Court on September 30. He did not retract his admission of guilt in Kardashov's death, although he insisted on reclassifying the case. Omarov believes that his actions should be classified as exceeding the limits of self-defense.

The announcement of the verdict in the case is expected next week, on October 5 or 6, a representative of the "Team Against Torture" told the "Caucasian Knot".

"During the debates, Omarov stated that Kardashov attacked him, and he had to defend himself, which is why he struck him. His lawyer asked to reclassify the case under Article 108 of the Criminal Code, from murder to exceeding self-defense," he said.

Omarov also apologized to the victim, Kardashov's mother, for her suffering. "The prosecutor demanded 10 years of imprisonment with a restriction of freedom for two years," reminded the representative of the KP*.

"Caucasian Knot" reported that at the court session on July 31, Said-Magomed Omarov refused to testify, citing the Constitution. At subsequent sessions, Omarov also refused to provide significant information, stating that he was tired and could not remember anything. A human rights activist reported that the investigation ignores part of the evidence, and Kardashov's mother believes that Omarov is being made a "scapegoat". According to the mother, Omarov participated in the abduction of her son but not in the murder, and the real murderers will escape responsibility if Said-Magomed is convicted for the crime.

Alexei Kardashov, who owned a pharmacy in Khasavyurt, left home on September 14, 2017, and did not return; his body has not yet been found. Investigators believe that the Rosgvardiya officers Bekhan Abdurashidov and Aslan Dukayev took Kardashov to Chechnya and left him with Said-Magomed Omarov, who killed Kardashov during a quarrel. The basis for the prosecution of Abdurashidov and Dukayev was Omarov's testimony, which he gave when the investigation was conducted in Dagestan. After the case was transferred to Chechnya, he signed a confession.

Kardashov's mother, Tsilya Yakubova, previously told a correspondent of the "Caucasian Knot" that there have been no developments in the search for her son's body. She also expressed outrage at the very accusation and the location of the trial. "As long as this is in Chechnya, it will be like this. The lawyers are working, but it's useless. And every new mention (of her son's fate) hurts me," Yakubova lamented.

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