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A member of Basaev's gang sentenced to life imprisonment

The evidence gathered by the Main Investigations Directorate over North Caucasian Federal District of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in collaboration with the Federal Security Service of Russia was found by court to be sufficient to sentence resident of the Republic of Dagestan Rustam Ganiev. He was found guilty of committing an offence under Article 317 of the Criminal Code of Russia (encroachment on the life of an officer of military personnel).

Investigation and the court established that on February 29, 2000 the accused as part of a united armed gang led by Basaev and Khattab took part in an attack against military personnel of the 6th squadron of the 104th regiment of the 76th Pskov Airborne Division that took place in the forested mountain area of Ulus-Kert rural settlement in Shatoisky District of the Chechen Republic. They carried out the attack from three sides, while the defendant, taking up a position, fired aimed shots at the servicemen from a Kalashnikov rifle. 84 servicemen were killed and 4 received wounds of varying severity in the attack that lasted until morning of March 1, 2000.

In January 2001 the indictment was approved by the Deputy Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation and referred to the Southern District Military Court to be tried on the merits.

Taking into account the previous criminal records of the accused, the Southern District Military Court sentenced him to life imprisonment in a special regime penal colony.

The Investigative Committee in collaboration with operational services continues to carry out operational and search activities and take investigative and other procedural measures aimed to identify all gang members involved in the attack. The criminal investigation is ongoing.