Okushko: Musaev's persecution may be used as precedent for victimizing other lawyers

The criminal case against the lawyer Murad Musaev, suspected of bribing witnesses in the murder case of the former Colonel Yuri Budanov, may become a dangerous precedent for the persecution of the lawyers across the country, said the lawyer Tatiana Okushko. The investigation of his case has been going on for two years.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in November 2013 Murad Musaev became a figurant in the criminal case of bribing witnesses (Article 309 of the Russian Criminal Code), as well as in the case of interference with the activities of the court (Part 1, Article 294 of the Russian Criminal Code). According to investigators, in January 2013 Musaev bribed, together with others persons, two witnesses in the Budanov's murder case, to force them to give false testimonies at the trial. Besides, according to investigators, from the end of 2012 to early 2013 Musaev interfere in the activities of the jury. The first case against Musaev was stopped on February 18; the second one is run by an investigator for especially important cases under the Chairman of the Investigating Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF).

"If now the court rules against Murad, in future, it may result in persecution of every advocate; and we'll be afraid to come up to any witness. Throughout 15 years of my legal practice I have constantly communicated with witnesses; I have to cover their travel expenses, but this in no way means bribing a witness," Tatiana Okushko told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

The interest in this case demonstrated by the legal community "is caused not only by solidarity, but also by the fact that this is a precedent case for the entire legal community, the outcome of which will further tell on the whole defence practice in the country," she said.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.