[1] His case was first brought to the public prominence by the September 2001 Novaya Gazeta article "The Disappearance" by Anna Politkovskaya.

Witnesses told the court that while in the cell, Murdalov could hardly stand and lost consciousness several times; his arm was broken, his ear torn and he had received concussion to his head.

In 2005 and again in 2007, former OMON officer Sergei Lapin was sentenced to prison for the torture of Zelimkhan Murdalov.

[2] According to Amnesty International Zelimkhan Murdalov is one of thousands of people who have become victims of forced disappearances in Chechnya.

Virtually none of the investigations have produced any results, and relatives seeking justice often face reprisals and intimidation.