MOSCOW, February 18 (RAPSI) - Moscow’s Presnensky District Court extended until June 21 the detention of Khasan Zakayev, one of the suspected organizers of a deadly hostage crisis at the Dubrovka theatre in Moscow that left 130 dead, spokesperson for the court, Nina Yurkova, told RAPSI on Wednesday.
Zakayev, a 41-year-old resident of Chechnya, was arrested while attempting to enter the Republic of Crimea using forged documents.
He stands charged with masterminding the terrorist attack, attempted murder by a group of persons and being a member of a criminal gang.
He faces life in prison if convicted.
A group of terrorists led by Movsar Barayev took hostage the audience and participants of the Nord-Ost musical on October 23, 2002. All 40 attackers were killed. The majority of hostages were released in an operation planned by Russian security services.
Chechen separatist leader Shamil Basayev who was reportedly killed in 2006 and Gerikhan Dudayev who is still at large are among the organizers of the attack, according to investigators.