The trial of the three perpetrators in the murder of Umar Israilov continued today with further testimony before the Vienna Criminal Court (Landesgericht für Strafsachen) in Austria.

The brother in law of Umar Israilov’s widow Malika Israilova (Sagieva) testified before the jury at the Vienna Criminal Court in the absence of the three perpetrators: Turpal Ali Yesherkayev, Suleiman Dadayev and Otto Kaltenbrunner (Ramzan Edilov).

The witness did not want to recall his statements at the State Department for the Protection of the Constitution and Counter terrorism (LVT) where he was an occasional informant. “I have never been in a police station in my life in Austria,” said the widow’s brother in law.

“You have to think about it now, do you tell the truth? Give me an answer, yes or no,” asked Judge Friedrich Forsthuber. The witness replied “I want to state again that I am telling the truth”. But the judge tried to get truth. “Do you have some reasons that you are afraid to tell the truth? You have relatives in Chechnya and if you would tell the truth, would it compromise their lives?” asked the judge. “This is possible,” replied the witness.

Umar Israilov’s widow Malika said she suspects that her brother in law was afraid. “You know, I understand him very well. All of my relatives are in Europe, but some of his relatives are in Chechnya. He can say nothing because if he speaks today, his relatives will have problems tomorrow,” said Malika.

The trial will continue on January 24, when two police officers will be heard as witnesses. On January 25, the judge will see a model of the crime scene. It is believed that the trial will continue until mid-March 2011.

*Text was written by Waynakh Online and edited by Michael Capobianco