22:50, 11 March 2010

Chechnya: two locals convicted for murdering frontier guards

On March 10, two residents of the Chechen Republic, earlier members of armed separatists' groupings, were convicted to long imprisonment terms for murdering three federal soldiers in 2002.

"Yesterday, the Supreme Court of the Chechen Republic sentenced two local residents - Isa Gazimamedov and Yasavi Ibakov, accused of encroaching on the life of law enforcers. The investigation found that in February 2002 Gazimamedov and Ibakov, being members of a bandit grouping, took part in a combat clash with servicemen of the frontier post in the Itum-Kalin District of Chechnya," a source in Chechen power agencies told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

In that skirmish three frontier guards were killed, and three more wounded.

According to the source, the defendants were found guilty under the article of "encroachment on the life of a law enforcer" and sentenced to 24.5 years (Gazimamedov), and 25 years (Ibakov) of imprisonment with serving their terms in a high security colony.

No comments of the defence were available.

Both convicts were detained by power agents in 2009.

Author: Muslim Ibragimov

Source: CK correspondent