New trial on Khlebnikov's murder will start within 30 days

The case files on the murder of Paul Khlebnikov, editor-in-chief of the Forbes Russian version, have arrived to the Moscow City Court for retrial. Anna Usachova, head of the press service of the Moscow City Court, has reported that the case should be appointed to hearing within 30 days, the ITAR-TASS reports.

On May 5, the jury acquitted Mr. Sadretdinov and two Chechnya natives - Kazbek Dukuzov and Musa Vakhaev, accused of murdering Paul Khlebnikov. All the three were released on that very day right in the courtroom. On May 6, the Moscow City Court, basing on the jury's acquittal, exculpated all the three defendants on the case. Subsequently, on November 9, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation quashed the jury's acquittal and returned the case for a new consideration.

Paul Khlebnikov was killed in Moscow on July 9, 2004. In the version of the investigation, the murder of the journalist was committed by members of an organized criminal group comprised of Chechnya residents. The investigators also declared that they had identified the customer of Khlebnikov's murder - Hozh-Ahmed Nukhaev, citizen of the Chechen Republic.