CHERKESSK. Nov 11 (Interfax) - An authorized rally protesting the acquittal of policemen charged with murder is being held in the North Caucasus republic of Karachayevo-Cherkessia.
The rally of about 100 protesters was organized by the relatives of the victims, among them the family of Dakhir Dzhankezov, believed to have been killed by ex-deputy head of the Cherkessk Police Department's Operations and Investigations division Ruslan Rakhayev, an Interfax correspondent reported.
The protest is proceeding without incident. No breaches of the peace have been reported.
According to investigators, Rakhayev beat Dzhankezov to death after Dzhankezov was detained for allegedly committing an administrative offence. After the incident, Rakhayev went into hiding and was placed on the federal most wanted list. He was detained in Kabardino-Balkaria in February 2012 and was placed under arrest.
The city court in Cherkessk sentenced Rakhayev to 13 years in a high security prison in July 2013. But the Supreme Court of Karachayevo-Cherkessia overturned the lower court's ruling and referred the case to the prosecutor for further scrutiny. Travel restrictions were imposed on Rakhayev.