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A court has recognized the evidence gathered by the North Caucasian Federal District Main Investigations Directorate of the Russia’s Investigative Committee sufficient to convict members of gang Khasavyurt Sector that is part of terrorist community Vilayat Dagestan, Murad Atayev, Shamil Abdulazizov, Ramazan Khalizov, Vladimir Khalizov, Magomed Ibragimov and Shamil Gazimagomedov. They were found guilty of a terrorist attack committed on 27 December 2013 near the building of Pyatigorsk Traffic Police Department of the Russian Ministry of the Interior. They are accused of crimes under part 2 of article 205.4 of the RF Penal Code (membership in a terrorist group), part 2 of article 209 (membership in a gang), paragraph “b” of part 3 of article 205 (terrorist attack), part 3 of article 222, part 3 of article 223 (illegal circulation of ammunition, explosives and explosive devices).

The court and investigators have revealed that between October and December 2013, the leader of the said gang Tural Atayev aka Yakhya plotted a terrorist attack in the town of Pyatigorsk – an explosion of a car near the building of a law enforcement body. One of the aims of the terrorist attack was to affect authorities of the Russian Federation to make a decision to stop fighting against activities of religious extremist organized groups in Ciscaucasia and by doing this create conditions for problem-free spread of radical Islam and to take subjects of the North Caucasus from the Russian Federation.

During that period of time time Tural Atayev picked from members of Khasavyurt Sector Shamil Abdulazizvo aka Abu-Abeyda, Magomed Ibragimov aka Abu Khamza, Shamil Gazimagomedov aka Albara, Marat Idrisov aka Asadulla, Sirazhutdin Cherkesov aka Asadulla and distributed roles among them. In early Decmeber 2013, Atayev’s acquaintance from Stavropol Territory Murad Atayev agreed to join Khasavyurt Sector and Vilayat Dagestan and to take part in the terrorist attack in Pyatigorsk. In early December 2013, Murad Atayev involved in the gang his friends from the town of Lermontov – a father and son Vladimir and Ramazan Khalizov who also followed the ideas of radical Islam.

According to the roles, Shamil Gazimagomedov supplied the gang by raising funds from the people masking it as charity. Magomed Ibragimov gave a flat he rented in the town of Khasavyurt in Dagestan for the perpetrators to meet in order to learn how to make improvised explosive devices as well helped to transport it to Pyatigorsk. Shamil Abdulazizov who knew how to lay mines and make explosive devices made an improvised explosive device and planted it in a car. Marat Idrisov and Sirazhutdin Cherkesov found and supplied components for the bomb. Murad Atayev bought a car for the attack, rented a garage and flat, chose the building of Pyatigorsk Traffic Police Department of the Russian Ministry of the Interior as the target and took part in making the explosion.

The investigators found out that on 27 December 2013, the members of the gang used a cell phone timer to set off the bomb of 50-60 kg of TNT set in the trunk of the car parked near the building of the traffic police department in the town of Pyatigorsk. The explosion killed 3 civilians and caused considerable material damage to citizens and organizations worth in total 12.6 million rubles.

As a result of cooperation between North Caucasian Federal District Main Investigations Directorate of the Russia’s Investigative Committee with the service in the Caucasian Mineralnye Vody of Stavropol Territory Office of the Federal Security Service, Dagestan Office of the Federal Security Service and central office of the Federal Security Service Murad Atayev, Shamil Abdulazizov, Ramazan Khalizov, Vladimir Khalizov, Magomed Ibragimov and Shamil Gazimagomedov were detained and their criminal activity broken.

The court has sentenced Atayev and Abduazizov to life in prison, Ramazan Khalizov to 23 years in prison, Vladimir Khalizov to 18 years in prison, Magomed Ibragimov to 19 years in prison and Shamil Gasimagomedov to 17 years in prison. All of them will be serving their time in a maximum-security penal colony.

Head of Media Relations                                                                                                                              V.I. Markin