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Two Members of Terrorist Cell Operating in Corrective Colony in Republic of Kalmykia Convicted

The court found evidence amassed by the Main Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the North Caucasian Federal District sufficient to pass sentences on Renat Zhigunov and Anzor Tolov. Depending on the role of each of them, they were found guilty of committing crimes under Part 1, Article 205.2, Part 2, Article 205.4 and Part 4, Article 33, Part 2, Article 205.4 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, respectively (public calls for terrorism or public justification of terrorism, participation in the terrorist cell and instigation to participation in the terrorist cell).

The investigators and court found that, in the middle of 2013, Shakhban Gasanov, who served a sentence for arms trafficking in the Corrective Colony No. 2 of the Federal Penitentiary Service Directorate of Russia for the Republic of Kalmykia, formed a terrorist cell in the said colony for terrorism propaganda, justification and support. After release from the colony in 2015, Gasanov moved to the Republic of Dagestan where he proclaimed himself an amir, that is a leader of an illegal armed group, operating in the region. Later, on 31 March 2015, he was killed in the city of Khasavyurt while making an attempt on life of law enforcement officers.

In pursuance of goals and objectives of the terrorist cell, over 100 convicted individuals joined the cell, operating in the corrective colony from the middle of 2013 to December 2019, including Zhigunov and Tolov. As they served a sentence in the Corrective Colony No. 2 of the FPSD of Russia for the Republic of Kalmykia, they promoted the radical Islam, public justification of terrorism and activities of the terrorist cell, distributed extremist and terrorist materials among convicts, including the banned extremist literature and audio and video materials, containing calls for unlawful activity, and brought in new individuals to join the terrorist cell, recruited them to increase the number of members of the terrorist cell or assist the said individuals and aid its activity and activity of illegal armed groups and international terrorist organizations, committing crimes outside the colony.

The unlawful activity of members of the terrorist cell was terminated in cooperation with a division of the Central Office of the Federal Security Service of Russia, Federal Security Service Directorate of Russia for the Republic of Kalmykia, Main Department for Combating Extremism of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia and Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia.

The court sentenced Tolov to 8 years of imprisonment in the maximum security penal colony. Zhigunov was sentenced to 9 years of imprisonment in the maximum security penal colony.

Earlier, the Southern district military court convicted 7 individuals for participation in the terrorist cell in the Corrective Colony No. 2 of the FPSD of Russia for the Republic of Kalmykia. Criminal cases against 15 individuals are currently before the court.

Actions of other participants in the crime are still investigated.