The man who earlier confessed to the killings of human rights lawyer Stanislav Markelov and journalist Anastasiya Baburova in Moscow, has withdrawn his confession.
Nikita Tikhonov said investigators forced him to confess to the shootings in 2009 by threatening his girlfriend.
One victim, Stanislav Markelov, was known for his work on cases involving war crimes and human rights violations.
The other, Anastasiya Baburova, worked for 'Novaya Gazeta', the same newspaper where murdered journalist Anna Politkovskaya worked.