RICHMOND, Va. – A judge in Virginia has refused to suppress statements by a Russian man charged with leading a Taliban attack against U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
Irek Hamidullin is scheduled for trial July 27 on 15 terrorism-related charges. U.S. officials say Hamidullin is a Russian veteran of the Soviet war in Afghanistan who stayed in the country and joined the Taliban. He was captured in 2009 after an attack on Afghan border police and U.S. soldiers.
U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson ruled Tuesday that Hamidullin did not clearly ask to speak to his lawyer or invoke his right to remain silent during interrogation. He also rejected Hamidullin's claim that he cannot be prosecuted on charges related to his alleged use of an assault rifle that has been either lost or destroyed.
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