21:37, 21 February 2007

Budanov will remain in Ulyanovsk colony

Colonel Yuri Budanov, former commander of Armored Regiment No. 160, convicted for the murder of Elza Kungaeva, a Chechen girl, "continues serving his punishment at Strict Custody Corrective Colony No. 3 in the town of Dimitrovgrad, the Ulyanovsk Region."

On Wednesday, the Department of the Federal Service for Execution of Punishments ("UFSIN") for the Volga Federal District (VFD) disseminated a message that on Tuesday, when speaking to the press conference, Mr. Andrei Koshkin, acting head of the Regional "UFSIN," made a mistake "in relation to whereabouts of Mr. Budanov," the RIA "Novosti" reports. In particular, he said that back last year, on the petition of Budanov's advocate, with account of good behaviour of the inmate, the former colonel was removed from the strict custody colony to a settlement-colony.

On Wednesday, Mr. Koshkin clarified that no petition on moving Budanov to the settlement-colony had ever been lodged, although he has the right to do so.