27 Jul 2012 14:25

Custodial term of Uzbek suspect in attacks on Tatarstan spiritual leaders upheld

KAZAN. July 27 (Interfax) - The Supreme Court of Tatarstan has upheld a two-month custodial term handed down to Uzbek citizen Abdunazim Ataboyev, who is accused of being involved in the attacks on Tatarstan's spiritual Muslim leaders.

The Vakhitovsky District Court of Kazan remanded Ataboyev in custody until September 20.

The suspect and his lawyer had asked the Supreme Court to overturn the Kazan court's ruling dated July 21, an Interfax correspondent reported from the courtroom.

Ataboyev's lawyer described the detention of the foreign citizen as groundless.

"The fact that a man wears a beard is not a reason to detain him," the lawyer said.

Ataboyev did not attend the court session.