MOSCOW, April 9 (RAPSI) – The North Caucasus District Military Court on Tuesday sentenced Ruslan Islamov, a member of a notorious gang once led by Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev, to 11 years in penal colony for participating in the attack and taking hostages in Russia’s town of Budyonnovsk in 1995, the Prosecutor General’s Office reports.
Islamov was found guilty of participating in a criminal group, committing a terrorist attack, murder and hostage taking, the statement reads.
On June 14, 1995, a group of at least 160 gunmen led by Basayev attacked Budyonnovsk holding 1,586 people as hostages at a local hospital. The attack left 129 persons dead and 317 injured while the property damage was estimated at 95.6 billion rubles (about $1.6 billion at the current exchange rate).
The court found that Islamov was among the attackers.
Overall, 31 members of the gang have been already sentenced to prison terms varying from 11 to 15 years in prison. Proceedings against several other members including Basayev were dropped due to their death.
Investigation into other gang members, including those put on the wanted list, is ongoing, according to prosecutors.