By Tass
YEKATERINBURG, July 2. /TASS/. The Leninsky District Court of Yekaterinburg has ordered Shanin Lalayev, a suspect in a string of murders that stretch back over two decades in the Ural Region, remanded into custody, a TASS correspondent reports.
The press service of the Sverdlovsk Regional Investigative Committee stated earlier that law enforcement in Yekaterinburg had shut down the activity of an ethnic group allegedly involved in several murders committed in 2001, 2010 and 2011. On June 29, the court detained Ayaz, Akif and Mazakhir Safarov, followed by the arrests of Bakir Safarov and Akhliman Gyandzhiev on July 1.
“The court rules for the accused to remain in custody until July 19,” the judge announced.
Lalayev has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Earlier, the Investigative Committee said that law enforcement agencies had dismantled an ethnic group on June 27. According to the investigators, the men are involved in several murders and attempted murders committed in Yekaterinburg in 2001, 2010 and 2011. According to the Investigative Committee, six Russian citizens were detained as part of the investigation of the case. According to preliminary data, one of the suspects died from heart failure. The cause of death of the second is being established.
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Russia’s Charge d’Affaires Pyotr Volokovykh, invited to the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry provided the necessary clarifications on the situation. Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that it is important to continue efforts to explain to Baku the reasons and nature of the detention of Azerbaijani immigrants in Yekaterinburg. Baku lodged a protest against the actions of the security forces, and cancelled cultural and other Russia-related events. The Kremlin said Moscow regrets such decisions.