MOSCOW, May 7 (RAPSI) - The Moscow City Court has sentenced Yusup Temerkhanov, who was charged with killing former Russian Colonel Yury Budanov, to 15 years in prison, RAPSI learned in the courtroom.
Temerkhanov will serve the sentence in a strict regime colony.
The sentence was handed down based on the verdict of the jury, which stated that the defendant is guilty and that he does not deserve leniency.
As an additional punishment, Judge Andrei Korotkov gave Temerkhanov a 1.5-year sentence to be served following his release from the colony.
During this term, he will be prohibited from leaving his apartment at night or changing his place of residence.
Upon rendering the verdict, the judge excluded the crime's motive - hatred toward servicemen taking part in the counterterrorism operations in Chechnya - which was imputed by investigators. Instead, Korotkov said the murder was committed due to personal hostile relations. He refused to forward the case for reconsideration, which the defense has requested.
Temerkhanov's attorney Murad Musayev said he will appeal the sentence.
Prosecutor Maria Semenenko said she considers the sentence lawful and justified, and will not issue an appeal. No pressure was placed on the defendant or the witnesses, she said.
Budanov was convicted of war crimes in Chechnya in July 2003. A military court found him guilty of abuse of power in connection with the kidnapping and the murder of Chechen Elza Kungayeva. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison and deprived of his rank, his medals and the chance to hold official positions for three years after his release.
In January 2009, he was released on parole. In June 2011, Budanov was shot dead as he walked out of a notary office in Moscow.
According to investigators, Temerkhanov shot Budanov eight times.
They believe that Temerkhanov planned the murder after his father was killed in Chechnya in 2000. They suspect that he picked Budanov as his victim because the colonel had been tried for kidnapping and killing Kungayeva in 2000.
