 Deputy chief of the Chechen branch of United Russia party Lecha Magomedov died on Tuesday during a pilgrimage to places of worship in Mecca. Preliminary reports said Magomedov died of a stroke he suffered in Mecca, a source from the Chechen Mufti's office told Tass on Tuesday. The United Russia headquarters has been negotiating the return of the body to Chechnya although traditionally, a pilgrim who dies in Mecca is buried there. Lecha Magomedov was around 70 years old. He was one of the organizers of the United Russia branch in Chechnya and until recently, he had been Deputy secretary of its political council. |