MOSCOW, February 19 (RAPSI) – Russia’s Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld a life sentence for Ingush terrorist Ali Taziyev, known as Magas, RAPSI reports from the courthouse.

Taziyev, known as "Magas," has been accused of 24 terrorist attacks in a case involving over 600 victims and over 400 witnesses. His charges include 15 different articles of the Criminal Code, such as setting up illegal armed groups, organizing an armed riot, illegal arms dealing, weapon manufacturing, homicide, terrorism, and attacking a law enforcement official.

A lower court found Taziyev guilty of several crimes, including detonating a homemade bomb at the bus terminal in Nevinnomyssk, Stavropol Territory in southern Russia, on December 9, 2007, attacking Ingush President Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, and setting off a homemade bomb at the police station in Nazran, Ingushetia, on August 17, 2009. In the latter attack, 21 people died and 290 were injured.

The regional Federal Security Service office said that while investigating Taziyev they uncovered a terrorism financing system, identified terrorist supporters, and eliminated or took into custody all the main coordinators of the Ingush terrorist movement.

Ali Taziyev, a leader in the Caucasus militant movement known as The Caucasus Emirate, has been accused of 24 terrorist attacks under 15 separate charges, including organizing illegal armed groups, instigating an armed riot, arms trafficking and manufacturing, homicide, terrorism, and attacking a law enforcement official.

Attacks on law enforcement and security personnel are frequent in the North Caucasus. A violent Islamist insurgency that had its roots in separatist wars in Chechnya has spread to neighboring republics.