MOSCOW -- Three Moscow police officers have been arrested and charged with murder after the death of an Abkhaz man, RFE/RL's Russian Service reports.
The Investigative Committee of the Prosecutor-General's Office told journalists that the officers -- Viktor Kuznetsov, Anvar Ibragimov, and Aleksei Chernikov -- attacked two people from Georgia's breakaway region of Abkhazia while inebriated last night.
One of the men who was attacked, Eduard Gurtskaya, died as a result.
The police officers have reportedly confessed to the assault.
Moscow's Interior Ministry chief Vladimir Koltsov said the three officers were sacked and their commander was officially fired as well.
Abkhazia, which broke away from Georgia in the early 1990s following a separatist war, was recognized as independent by Russia last year following Moscow's brief war with Tbilisi.
Abkhazia enjoys Russia's support, and most of its population of around 230,000 have been given Russian passports.
The Investigative Committee of the Prosecutor-General's Office told journalists that the officers -- Viktor Kuznetsov, Anvar Ibragimov, and Aleksei Chernikov -- attacked two people from Georgia's breakaway region of Abkhazia while inebriated last night.
One of the men who was attacked, Eduard Gurtskaya, died as a result.
The police officers have reportedly confessed to the assault.
Moscow's Interior Ministry chief Vladimir Koltsov said the three officers were sacked and their commander was officially fired as well.
Abkhazia, which broke away from Georgia in the early 1990s following a separatist war, was recognized as independent by Russia last year following Moscow's brief war with Tbilisi.
Abkhazia enjoys Russia's support, and most of its population of around 230,000 have been given Russian passports.
