Two more men were sentenced to 19 and 13 years as members of Basayev's detachment
The Southern District Military Court sentenced Eduard Taushev and Temirali Zarakayev to 19 and 13 years in a maximum security penal colony, respectively. This was reported by Interfax, citing information from the FSB Directorate for Stavropol Krai. The defendants were found guilty of attacking the Botlikh District of Dagestan during the second Russian-Chechen war.
According to investigators, in June-July 1999, Zarakayev and Taushev joined the detachment of field commanders Shamil Basayev and Khattab, and in August, they invaded Dagestan. More than 280 servicemen and law enforcement officers were killed and over 800 were wounded during the attack.
A criminal case was opened under articles on participation in a gang, armed rebellion, and also an attempt on the lives of military personnel (Articles 209, 279 and 317 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).
Among others, those who received amnesty are subject to criminal prosecution for actions against federal troops during the Russian-Chechen wars. Human rights activists have repeatedly emphasized that such charges are often based on the same type of testimony from secret witnesses and information obtained under torture.
