Lawyers of Oleg Gagiev, sentenced in Rostov Region to life imprisonment, treat verdict as unjustified

Lawyers of Oleg Gagiev, who was sentenced by the North-Caucasian District Military Court to life imprisonment on charges of resonant murders in North Ossetia, treat the verdict pronounced on March 13 as unjustified and intend to challenge it. In his turn, the prosecutor in the criminal case stated that only such a sentence would be lawful.

According to Judge Yuri Zhitnikov, the jury found that Oleg Gagiev did not deserve leniency for each of his crimes.

In connection with that fact, in accordance to cumulative punishment, Oleg Gagiev was sentenced to actual life imprisonment to be served at a penal colony of special regime. Besides, he was fined and ordered to pay one of the victims the amount of 500,000 roubles to compensate moral damage.

All time, while the Judge read out the verdict, Oleg Gagiev stood in a glass cell, turned away from the press and slightly bent. When asked by the Judge whether he understood the sentence, Oleg Gagiev clearly answered: "Yes."

"The court's decision will be challenges, as soon as we get on our hands the written record of the indictment," said Alan Bagraev, the lawyer of the Advocates' Chamber of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania. He has added that Oleg Gagiev had not admitted his guilt.

Victims and relatives of the defendant did not attend the open sentencing.