Russian mayor detained for two months over murder case

A Moscow court has sanctioned a two-month criminal detention of the mayor of a North Caucasus republic over a murder case, authorities said Sunday.

"The court has just satisfied the investigators' request and placed (Said) Amirov under a two-month criminal detention," the Bassmany court spokeswoman Natalia Romanova told reporters.

Official charges would be brought against Amirov, mayor of Makhachkala, capital of the Dagestan republic, within 10 days, Russia's Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said.

Investigators accused Amirov of organizing in December 2011 the murder of Arsen Gadzhibekov, acting head of the committee's local branch in the city.

More than 10 suspected accomplices involved in the case have also been detained.

Amirov denied the accusations at the court, saying the case "is concocted and I do not admit the guilt."

Amirov, 59, served as deputy prime minister of Dagestan from 1991 to 1998. He has been on the mayoral position since 1998.