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There is increasing evidence of a connection between the Russian secret service FSB and the murder of a Georgian in Berlin's Tiergarten in August 2019.

The most important witness in the so-called Tiergartenmord trial incriminated the FSB on Tuesday with a further testimony before the Berlin Superior Court.

Selimchan Changoshvili was shot dead by a man with a silencer pistol at lunchtime on 23 August 2019 in the “Kleiner Tiergarten” park.

Witnesses spoke of an "execution".

The court is now trying to assess the extent to which the Russian state was involved in the crime on the basis of the circumstantial evidence and witness statements.

The dark-haired, lanky man who appears as "witness G." in the process plays an important role.

His data research fueled the police investigation into the murder case.

Under the strictest security precautions, the court met on Tuesday in room 700, the building wing was secured by special forces.

As a journalist for the Bellingcat platform, the early 50-year-old Bulgarian had ensured that the alleged murder of the Georgian Selimchan Changoshvili in August 2019 became a political issue between Germany and Russia.

G. handed over his research to German security authorities, which consisted of extensive internal documents, evaluations of cell phone data and travel movements.

The police questioned him nine times.

Since February of this year, his credibility has been examined in Berlin by the court chaired by Olaf Arnoldi on several days of the trial.

His identity and place of residence must remain secret for his own protection.

Witness reports of new research

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G., who appeared on Tuesday in an anthracite-colored suit, took the opportunity to present the latest research by "Bellingcat".

As a result, Russia is said to have provided not only the defendant Vadim Krasikov, but also his wife and daughter with camouflage identities and thus protected them.

The woman flew from Russia to the Crimean Peninsula under a false name in December 2019.

This is proven by the evaluation of cell phone data and the check of passenger lists that G. and his colleagues compared.

Both wife and daughter Krasova had been traveling with false passports under the new name Z. while retaining their first names.

"These are the typical methods of the FSB to keep the first name and to date the date of birth back a year," said G. With this statement and his research, he burdens the Russian state even more, because the protection of the family is another indication of a connection to the alleged murderer Krasikov.

Defendant with two names on the way

This one most likely also has an alias identity and claims not to be the one who is accused here by name.

He claims his name is Vadim Sokolov, born in 1970 and a civil engineer.

According to G.'s research and police findings, the FSB is said to have provided him with the relevant papers.

And the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office also assumes that Vadim Krasikov acted on behalf of Russian state agencies.

Changoshvili had fought against Russia in the Chechnya war, and according to the prosecution he was considered an enemy of the state.

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According to the investigation, it can be assumed that Krasikov was not able to commit the murder alone with the planning and implementation in the Kleiner Tiergarten, but that he had accomplices.

A man with the alias identity Roman Davydov is said to have been involved.

BKA investigations already showed striking parallels between the trips of the alleged murderer Krasikov and Davydov.

Accomplice is said to be an FSB officer

"Witness G." reported on Tuesday that there was evidence that the man was an FSB officer.

Krasikov had contact with him in Russia in 2019, as the analysis of traffic data and the verification of identities showed.

"We don't yet know what role he played, but we assume that he played one," said G., whose statements are being translated from English into German.

German-Russian relations are still heavily burdened by the murder case, it is about the allegation of state terrorism.

The verdict is expected in April.

The federal government had linked its reaction directly to the outcome of these proceedings.