Employees of the Investigative Committee's Main Investigative Directorate for the North Caucasus Federal District have identified three suspects in involvement in the 2000 attack on servicemen in Chechnya, a criminal case has been opened, according to a press release from the Russian Investigative Committee.
"An investigation is continuing into a criminal case opened in 2000 over an armed attack by members of illegal armed groups led by Shamil Basayev and Emir Khattab on employees of the Perm regional police department and servicemen. As part of the investigation, evidence was obtained of the involvement of three individuals in the commission of the crime. With regard to them and to unidentified persons criminal proceedings were instituted committing a crime under article 317 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (attempt on the life of a law enforcement officer)," the report said.
The investigation established that on March 29, 2000, near the village of Dzhani-Vedeno, Vedensky district of the Chechen Republic, "these individuals and other participants of various illegal armed organizations numbering no less than 200 people committed an attempt on the lives of employees of the Main Department of Internal Affairs of the Perm province and servicemen of the commandant's office of the security zone of the Vedensky district of the Chechen Republic".
According to the IC, as a result of the attack, members of the gangs and illegal armed groups, who were part of the criminal association, deliberately killed 33 members of the law enforcement agencies. Another 10 officers of the Perm regional police department were captured and later killed. As a result of the clash, 102 employees of the Perm regional police department and servicemen suffered various degrees of health and moral damage.
"At present, urgent investigative and other procedural actions aimed at establishing their role in the crime are being carried out with the participation of the suspects. Earlier these persons had already been convicted", the report specifies.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Artem Geodakyan / TASS
Based on materials from TASS