Russian police say they have arrested several suspects in Moscow in connection with the killing last September of the brother of the Chechen warlord who was fatally shot in Dubai almost two weeks ago. Ruslan Yamadayev was shot in Moscow on September 24. His brother, Sulim Yamadayev, the former leader of the pro-Russian faction in the last Chechen war, was killed in the car park of his apartment block at Jumeirah Beach Residence on April 4. Both were opponents of the Chechen president, Ramzan Kadyrov.
Police in Dubai have accused Adam Delimkhanov, a member of Russia's parliament who is also President Kadyrov's cousin and right-hand man, of involvement in the killing. According to the Moscow Times, some commentators in Russia are speculating that the announcement of the arrests after months of apparent inactivity in the case might be an attempt to divert suspicion away from Mr Delimkhanov and his relatives, who include President Kadyrov.
"It looks like they are trying to make the impression that there is a different group, one that is not associated with the Kadyrov clan, that sought to kill the Yamadayevs," Andrei Soldatov, an expert on Russian security services, told the newspaper. On Wednesday, Mr Delimkhanov cancelled a news conference at which he was expected to talk about the accusations made by Dubai Police, but he told reporters in parliament that they were "sheltering the real killer, Yamadayev".
jgornall@thenational.ae