The prosecutor's office is appealing the acquittal of a SVO participant in a murder case

ROSTOV-ON-DON, January 22 The prosecution intends to appeal the verdict of the Novocherkassk Garrison Military Court in the Rostov region, which acquitted special operation participant Zaindi Takaev in the case of the murder of a colleague, a source said.
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"Neither the prosecution nor the injured party agrees with this court decision. In their opinion, the jury was under pressure. I believe the appeal will soon go to court,” the agency’s interlocutor said.

According to him, on January 17, the military court, based on a unanimous decision of the jury, acquitted 41-year-old contract sergeant from Chechnya Takaev. He was accused of murdering a colleague, 20-year-old native of Dagestan, Private Magomed Shakhbanov.

The incident occurred on June 6, 2022 in Pervomaisk (LPR). That day, several contract servicemen and two local residents had a feast in a gazebo in the courtyard of a multi-story building. Later the company began to disperse. Only two girls and Shakhbanov remained in the gazebo.
As follows from the case materials, Takaev went to the toilet, leaving his machine gun in the gazebo. Soon they started shooting at her: Shakhbanov died on the spot — a bullet pierced his head. The girls survived by hiding under the table. According to Takaev, he heard that they were shooting from the bushes, returned to the gazebo, took his machine gun and returned fire, “repelling the launched attack.” He then called doctors and military police. However, the girls stated that Takaev did not go anywhere, but approached Shakhbanov from behind and shot him in the head with a pistol. According to witnesses, one of the participants in the feast left the sergeant with his Makarov pistol before leaving.

According to the source, there are too many inconsistencies in the case that the prosecutor’s office of the Southern Military District will not ignore.

“They didn’t find a bullet, and without it, the results of the examination are at least not credible, no traces of those who attacked the gazebo were found, and there are two witnesses whose testimony coincides,” the agency’s interlocutor noted.
According to him, the injured party also raises questions about the “strange unanimity” of the jury: it is associated with the pressure that could be exerted on them.
The verdict has not yet entered into legal force. The Novocherkassk Garrison Military Court received an appeal from the injured party. The corresponding submission from the prosecutor's office has not yet arrived, the representative of the authority clarified.