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Raduyev Trial Enters Final Stage
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Текст: Gazeta.Ru
The trial of rebel field commander Salman Raduyev and three of his accomplices has entered its final stages. On Friday Salman Raduyev’s lawyer Salman Arsanukayev told the court that his client ought to be acquitted of almost all charges with which he is charged since his guilt has not been fully proved.
The trial of Salman Raduyev, Turpal Ali-Atgeriyev, Aslanbek Alkhazurov and Khusein Gaisumov began on November 15. The rebels stand accused of killing 78 people in an armed raid on the Dagestani settlements of Kizlyar and Pervomaiskoye in January 1996.
The charges against Salman Raduyev’s gang include terrorism, mass murder perpetrated with utmost cruelty, organization of illegal armed formations, abduction, and banditry.
Salman Raduyev is also believed to be behind the abduction of policemen from a special force regiment from the Penza Region in 1996 and of masterminding a terrorist attack at the train station in the town of Pyatigorsk in April 1997.
From the very first day of his trial, Salman Raduyev has resolutely denied his guilt of the crimes with which he is charged, and claims he was merely doing his soldier’s duty and carried out orders of the then-president of the self-proclaimed Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, Dzhokhar Dudayev.
Salman Raduyev’s trial entered its final stage on Wednesday this week. Concluding the prosecution’s deliberation, the Prosecutor General of Russia Vladimir Ustinov who is personally leading the public prosecution, called upon the court to sentence the Chechen warlord to life imprisonment, calling him “a cold-blooded murderer”, and a “Chechen bin Laden.”
In his lengthy indictment speech in the Supreme Court of Daghestan on Wednesday, the chief prosecutor of Russia said that Raduyev deserved the death penalty, but since a moratorium on the death penalty has been in force since 1996, the notorious rebel should spend the rest of his life behind bars in a hard labour prison.
In Ustinov’s opinion, Raduyev’s associates Turpal Ali-Atgeriyev, Aslanbek Alkhazurov and Khusein Gaisumov should be sentenced to 15-years imprisonment.
Salman Raduyev’s and Turpal Ali-Atgeriyev’s defence lawyers were expected to deliver their final statements on Thursday, however, they asked for a delay on the grounds that they needed more time for preparation.
Instead the lawyers of the two other members of Raduyev’s ‘gang’ facing trial were given the floor on Thursday.
Elmira Gadzhiyeva, the defence attorney for Aslanbek Alkhazurov said that a 15-year prison sentence was too long and unjust for a person who, even though armed, had never used his gun against anyone. Ms.Gadzhiyeva claimed that Alkhazurov had joined Raduyev’s unit with the sole intention of helping the wounded, regardless of their origin – Russians or Chechens.
The only charge that was be applicable to her client she said was participation in illegal bandit formations.
Gadzhiyeva’s colleague, Arthur Ortskhanov, the defence lawyer for Khusein Gaisumov, chose a similar approach, claiming that his client should be acquitted of banditry and terrorism.
Ortskhanov began his speech by giving an account of his client’s childhood.
“In the early 90s he (Gaisumov) was 14 year old. His outlook developed against the background of independence slogans, impressive military parades in the centre of Grozny. And when he was drafted into the army of Ichkeria, he went to fulfil his duty”.
On Friday, Salman Raduyev’s lawyer Salman Arsanukayev told the court that his client ought to be acquitted of banditry, illegal purchase of weapons, terrorism, premeditated murder, attempting to murder policemen, and hostage taking.
Raduyev, his lawyer claims, did everything in his power to prevent unlawful actions by Chechen fighters during the attack on Kizlyar in January 1996, and that the person who is really guilt for the deaths of Kizlyar civilians and policemen is another rebel commander – Khunker Israpilov.
Raduyev’s defence also claims that the civilians who were taken hostage and held in Kizlyar’s hospital, voluntarily agreed to accompany Raduyev’s unit to Pervomaiskoye and then on to Chechnya.
According to his lawyer Arsanukayev, Salman Raduyev never exceeded his role as political leader of the Kizlyar raid and said that throughout the investigation his client had rendered all necessary assistance, cooperated with the court and behaved decently.
Arsanukayev also claims that Raduyev did not take part in combat during the second military campaign in Chechnya and that when he was detained Raduyev was not armed. The lawyer also said the fact that Raduyev is a father of two small children should be taken into account.
After Arsanukayev was through, Raduyev and his accomplices were invited to make their final statements.
Unexpectedly Raduyev refrained from making political statements. He reiterated is claim that he is innocent of the majority of crimes with which he is charged and emphasised that he was not in any way involved with the Pyatigorsk train station bombing in 1997.
Dagestani Supreme Court judge Baguzha Unzholov, who is presiding over the trial, said on Friday that he expected the sentence on Salman Raduyev to be handed down on December 25-26.
14 ДЕКАБРЯ 18:34
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