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5 Chechens on Hooliganism Charges Slit Wrists in Moscow Court

Moscow Court (Vladimir Afanasyev / TASS)

Five Chechen defendants standing trial in a 2-year hooliganism case have been reportedly hospitalized after slitting their wrists in court.

One of the defendants’ lawyers told the Interfax news agency on Friday that they have been in custody since 2015.

“I’m sure their nerves just snapped, this happened out of despair,” the lawyer, Shamil Yandarbayev, was cited by the Interfax news agency as saying.

According to a police report dated Aug 2015, a dozen suspects were detained after a mass brawl at a restaurant in southern Moscow.

Video posted to social media Friday depicts police ordering people out of the courtroom.

Interfax cited the lawyer Yandarbayev as saying that the trial was postponed until later Friday 

Yandarbayev said he was unaware how the six defendants smuggled blades into the courtroom.

A court spokeswoman later clarified to the news website Mediazona that there were five defendants who cut their wrists, using parts of a lighter instead of a blade.

Read more about: Chechnya

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