DUBAI // Verdicts in the case of two men allegedly involved in the assassination of Sulim Yamadayev, the former Chechen warlord, are due next month. MH, 37, an Iranian horse groomer for the Chechen president, Ramzan Kadyrov, and MJ, a Tajik national, are accused of aiding and abetting a premeditated murder as well as possessing an unlicensed weapon.
Yamadayev was shot dead in the basement car park of his home at Jumeirah Beach Residence on March 28, 2009. Judges at Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance said yesterday that they would deliver their verdicts on April 12, after hearing arguments from defence lawyers that their clients had no involvement in the murder. Ibrahim al Qasim and Obaid Ali Obaid, defending MH and MJ, told the court that Yamadayev's murder was the result of a "game between big players in Chechnya".
Mr Obaid said Yamadayev was the victim of a power battle between two Chechen families. Mr al Qasim yesterday tried to cast doubt on the accounts of witnesses questioned by police, which he said had identified three different people carrying three different guns. He said the witnesses - including one of Yamadayev's body guards - described the different body types of the men they saw carrying weapons in the car park after two gun shots were heard.
He also said one witness had said the gun was grey while another had said it was black. Mr al Qasim told the court that a ballistics analysis of the gun said to have been used in the assassination had proved inconclusive. MH is alleged to have played a role in supplying the gun used to kill Yamadayev, while a hand-drawn map of the car park was found in MJ's flat. Mr Obaid argued that prosecutors had not presented in court the most important witnesses in the case, including Yamadayev's body guards who were with him on the day. "They were not presented for testimony before prosecutors or in court, they were not even brought in as potential suspects which raises a lot of questions there," he said.
Yamadayev had commanded the elite Vostok battalion in Chechnya, and was said to have been a rebel fighter who switched sides to fight for the Russians. Dubai Police have said the former warlord survived multiple attempts on his life before he moved to Dubai. He had apparently been living in the city with his wife and six children and was reported to have "retired" and moved to Dubai early in 2009.
Prosecutors have claimed that the Russian MP and former deputy prime minister of Chechnya, Adam Delimkhanov, provided the so-called "golden gun" used to assassinate the warlord and had been heard to say Mr Yamadayev "must die". Mr Delimkhanov is alleged to have handed a bag containing the gold-plated 9mm Stechkin APS pistol to a Russian man who carried out the assassination. Seven Interpol red notices - requests for arrest with a view to extradition - have been issued by Dubai Police for the remaining suspects, including Mr Delimkhanov, who are outside the country.
@Email:amustafa@thenational.ae
How to get there
Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
Result
UAE (S. Tagliabue 90 1') 1-2 Uzbekistan (Shokhruz Norkhonov 48', 86')
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What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
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Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
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In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
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6pm: UAE Matyrs Trophy (PA) Maiden Dh80,000 1,600m
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WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
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COMPANY PROFILE
The biog
Name: Abeer Al Bah
Born: 1972
Husband: Emirati lawyer Salem Bin Sahoo, since 1992
Children: Soud, born 1993, lawyer; Obaid, born 1994, deceased; four other boys and one girl, three months old
Education: BA in Elementary Education, worked for five years in a Dubai school
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Lewis Hamilton in 2018
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Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
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Gearbox Eight-speed paddleshift auto
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Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
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A Bad Moms Christmas
Dir: John Lucas and Scott Moore
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Two stars
