The murder of ex-Col. Yury Budanov could be a provocation, Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin told Interfax.
"Given the personality of Budanov, investigators do not rule out that the murder was a provocation," Markin said.
However, "it is too early to say that an ethnic group may be behind this murder," Markin said, adding that "investigators do not have any information proving this theory."
Former Russian army colonel Budanov was arrested in the spring of 2000. On July 25, 2003, he was found guilty of kidnapping and killing young Chechen woman Elza Kungayeva and sentenced to ten years in prison. The court stripped him of his colonel rank, the Order of Courage and barred him from public service for three years.
On Dec. 24, 2008, a court in Dimitrovgrad granted Budanov’s petition for parole. The victim’s defense appealed the court ruling, which led to a delay in his release. His previous petitions were turned down four times.
Budanov was released from prison in mid-January 2009.
