Dagestani separatist ideologist sentenced

Dagestan's Supreme Court has today completed hearing the case of Magomed Tagaev, an ideologist of Dagestani separatists. He has been sentenced to ten years in hard labor camp.

A native of Dagestan, Magomed Tagaev, 56, was one of the ideologists of the armed invasion of Dagestan by Shamil Basaev's armed units in the summer of 1999. In 1996, Tagaev published a book in Kiev, Ukraine, titled "Jihad or How to Become Immortal"; another book of his, "Our Fight or Imam's Rebel Army," was published in Baku, Azerbaijan, in 1999. Both books contain specific recommendations for training "faith fighters" and organizing military action against the "infidels." In the autumn of 1999, after combats in Dagestan, Magomed Tagaev was put on the international wanted list. He was detained and arrested in Turkey in 2000. Russian law enforcement agencies were unable to attain his extradition and the Istanbul court released him. In April this year, he was detained by officers of the Department of Russia's Federal Security Service for Dagestan on the border between Russia and Azerbaijan. Tagaev was trying to cross the border using fake ID.

The ideologist of Dagestani separatists was charged under seven articles of the Russian Crime Code: 282 (inciting ethnic, racial or religious hatred), 208 (creating an illegal armed formation), 222 (illegal gun carrying), 162 (robbery), 226 (stealing firearms), 279 (armed mutiny) and 327 (ID forgery). Defendant Magomed Tagaev was acquitted of organizing an illegal armed formation and being a member of it and organizing armed mutiny through incitement. Tagaev was recognized guilty of the remaining five crimes. He was sentenced to nine years in prison under paragraphs (a) and (b), Part 4, Article 226 - stealing arms and ammunition being a member of an organized group and using violence dangerous to life and health or threatening to use such violence; he was sentenced to eight years in prison under Paragraph (a), Part 3, Article 162 - robbery committed by an organized group; to five years under Part 3, Article 222 - illegal acquisition, storing and carrying of arms being a member of an organized group; to two years under Part 1, Article 282 - inciting ethnic, racial and religious hatred, degrading ethnic dignity; and to one year under Part 3, Article 327 - using knowingly forged ID.