Four Chechen residents sentenced for setting ziyart on fire

In Chechnya, four young men who in November 2015 set on fire a ziyart (mausoleum) on the tomb of Yangulbi-Khadji Dokhtukaev, a theologian revered in the republic. The defendants were sentenced to 7-7.5 years of imprisonment.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in the village of Kurchaloi, Shamil Ergiev, Djabrail Usumov, Islam Yunusov, and Khamzat Uspaev, 19-year old local residents of the village of Mairtup, were detained on suspicion of committing arson. The sentence was pronounced on August 21.

As a result of the fire, the interior of the ziyart was severely damaged. The incident caused a public outcry in the republic. By the order of the Chechen leader, the detained young men were brought to various districts of the republic, where they were subjected to public reprimand on gatherings at mosques. Family members of the young men were also subjected to public reprimand.

The relatives of the convicted young men treat the sentence as too severe, despite the fact that their action was "blasphemous and unacceptable."

However, according to local theologians, the instigators' actions cannot be justified, and the guilty men deserved "the most severe punishment."

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.