The Main Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the North Caucasus Federal District has completed the investigation of three criminal cases against Ruslan Surkhaev, Magomed Guseinov, Yuri Kaishev, Ramazan Dibirov, Timur Abdullaev, Makhmud Mugutdinov, Abdulmalik Ramazanov, Renat Zhigunov and Anzor Tolov. They are accused of committing crimes under Part 1 of Article 205.4 of the Criminal Code (leadership of a terrorist association), Part. 2 of Article 205.4 of the Criminal Code (participation in a terrorist association), and Article 33, part 2 of Article 205.4 of the Criminal Code (incitement to commit a terrorist act), of Part 2, Art. 33, Part 2, Article 205.4 (incitement to participate in a terrorist association), Part 1 of Article 205.2 of the Criminal Code (public calls to terrorist activities and public justification of terrorism), and Article 291, Part 4, Paragraph B (bribery of an official).

It was possible to establish the circumstances of the crimes and bring the accomplices to criminal responsibility in cooperation with the division of the central office of the Federal Security Service of Russia, the Department of the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Republic of Kalmykia, the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia and the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia.

Investigation established that in the middle of 2013, Shahban Gasanov, born in the Republic of Dagestan, serving a sentence for illegal traffic of firearms in the Penal Colony No. 2013 of the Kalmykia Department of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia, had created a terrorist community in the said colony in order to promote, justify, and support terrorism. After being released from the Federal Penal Colony No. 2015 in 2015, residing in the Republic of Dagestan, Gasanov declared himself as an amir, that is, a leader of one of illegal armed formations operating in the Republic of Dagestan. He was subsequently eliminated on March 31, 2015 at encroachment on life of law enforcement officers in Khasavurt.

From the middle of 2013 to December 16, 2019 over 100 convicted persons from the penal colony became members of the criminal community supporting its aims and goals. Among them are Surkhayev, Guseynov, Kayshev, Dibirov, Abdullayev, Mugutdinov, Ramazanov, Zhigunov and Tolov, who while serving their sentence in the same penal colony were engaged in spreading the ideology of radical Islam among inmates, public justification of terrorism and terrorist community activity, distributed extremist and terrorist materials, including banned extremist literature and audio and video materials containing calls for extremist and terrorist activity. In addition, the convicts also engaged in the involvement of new individuals in the terrorist community and their recruitment.  

After Gasanov's release, the terrorist network was headed by Surkhayev and then by Guseynov. They took turns in the overall management of the community, developed plans for criminal activity and directed their execution, independently recruited convicts, conducted ideological work, dealt with the expenditure of funds received and trained members of the terrorist community in radical Islam.

In addition, Guseinov, as the head of the terrorist community, between November 2016 and August 2017, handed over a bribe to Artur Tsamaev, deputy head of the Federal Criminal Investigation Committee-2 of the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service in the Republic of Kalmykia. Money in the total amount of not less than 235 thousand rubles was handed over for aiding and abetting the activities of this terrorist group.

The investigation collected a sufficient amount of evidence, in connection with which the criminal cases against Surkhayev, Guseinov, Kaishev, Dibirov, Abdullayev, Mugutdinov, Ramazanov, Zhigunov and Tolov with the approved indictment were sent to the Southern District Military Court for consideration on the merits.

Earlier, seven individuals were sentenced by the Southern District Military Court to long terms of imprisonment for their involvement in a terrorist association on the territory of the Federal Criminal Executive Committee - Colony No. 2 in the Republic of Kalmykia, and eight individuals are currently on trial.

The investigation into other participants is ongoing.