Criminal Case Proceedings

• On September 22, 1999, the criminal cases mentioned above were merged into a single proceeding under No. 103.
• On September 16, 1999, criminal case No. 173 was initiated regarding the explosion in the courtyard of residential building No. 35 on Oktyabrskoye Shosse in the city of Volgodonsk, Rostov Region.
• On August 8, 2002, this criminal case was merged into a single proceeding with the aforementioned criminal case No. 103.

Investigation Findings

During the investigation of the criminal case, it was established that the terrorist acts—the explosions of residential buildings in the cities of Moscow and Volgodonsk in September 1999—were committed by an organized criminal group, whose members were leaders and participants of illegal armed formations operating on the territory of the Chechen Republic:

• Emir Al-Khattab
• Abu Umar
• A.O. Dekkushev
• Yu.I. Krymshamkhalov
• A.Sh. Gochiyaev
• D.F. Saitakov
• T.A. Batchaev
• Z.A. Batchaev
• Kh.M. Abaev
• M.D. Tsokiev
• and a number of other persons not identified by the investigation.

Legal Actions Against A.O. Dekkushev

• November 19, 1999: Decrees were issued in the case to charge A.O. Dekkushev as an accused of terrorism and the illegal acquisition, storage, and transportation of explosives and explosive devices under Part 3 of Article 205 and Part 3 of Article 222 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, to select a preventive measure against him in the form of detention, and to declare him wanted.
• July 14, 2002: A.O. Dekkushev was detained by law enforcement agencies of the Republic of Georgia on the territory of that state and handed over to the Russian Federation. On the same day, he was charged, and detention was chosen as the preventive measure against him.
• April 18, 2003: A.O. Dekkushev was presented with a new charge for committing crimes provided for by:
  • Part 2 of Art. 208
  • Part 3 of Art. 222
  • Part 3 of Art. 223
  • Part 3 of Art. 205
  • paragraphs 'a', 'v', 'd', 'e', 'zh', and 'n' of Part 2 of Art. 105
  • Part 3 of Art. 30
  • paragraphs 'a', 'v', 'd', 'e', 'zh', and 'n' of Part 2 of Art. 105
  • Part 2 of Art. 322 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

He is accused, in particular, of the fact that in July-September 1999, as part of an organized group consisting of leaders and participants of illegal armed formations operating on the territory of the Chechen Republic, he illegally acquired and manufactured, stored, and transported explosives and explosive devices by road transport from the territory of the Stavropol Krai to Moscow and Volgodonsk, where then, using these explosives and explosive devices, he carried out terrorist acts—the explosions on September 8 and 13, 1999, of residential buildings No. 19 on Guryanova St. and No. 6 building 3 on Kashirskoye Shosse in Moscow, and on September 16, 1999, near residential building No. 35 on Oktyabrskoye Shosse in Volgodonsk, as a result of which 243 people died and more than 1500 people received injuries of varying degrees of severity or suffered in one way or another, receiving moral trauma, and significant damage was caused to the state and citizens in connection with the destruction and damage of residential buildings.