The Moscow City Court upheld the arrest in absentia of former Dagestan People's Assembly deputy Akhmedpasha Umakhanov. This decision is necessary for placing him on the international wanted list.

According to investigators, Umakhanov was involved in organizing a criminal organization that operated in Dagestan in the early 2000s. He is also charged with murder and the illegal trafficking of weapons and ammunition. The case file states that the group included three identified members and "other unidentified individuals," and its goal was to commit serious and especially serious crimes.

Earlier, Moscow's Basmanny Court ordered Umakhanov's arrest in absentia for two months from the date of his extradition to Russia or actual detention in the country. He was placed on the federal wanted list in February of this year. Investigators believe the former deputy is currently abroad.

Prior to this, officers from the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, supported by special forces from the FSB and the Russian National Guard, conducted a search of Umakhanov's home in Khasavyurt. According to Dagestani media, the owner was not there: he had long since left the country, citing medical treatment.

The defense attempted to appeal the decision to arrest him in absentia. They insisted that the court had failed to consider the defendant's identity and health. However, the appellate court concluded that the investigation had presented sufficient evidence to support the need for pretrial detention.

Akhmedpasha Umakhanov is a former member of the People's Assembly of Dagestan, former deputy general director of Rosneft-Dagneft, and the older brother of State Duma deputy Sagidpasha Umakhanov. The criminal investigation has been extended until at least June 27, 2026. Saigidpasha Umakhanov headed the Khasavyurt administration from 1997 to 2015, after which he held several high-ranking positions in the Dagestan government. Since 2021, he has been a member of the Russian State Duma. Local media have repeatedly reported on his confrontation with regional authorities and the struggle for political influence in Dagestan.

Umakhanov himself has been the target of several assassination attempts. In 2009, his nephew, Magomed Umakhanov, was murdered. Many linked the crime to a conflict between influential groups in the Khasavyurt district. Later, another family relative, Khabib Umakhanov, was convicted of the murder of Alimsoltan Alkhamatov, head of the Khasavyurt district.