Written Testimonies

Below are published the written testimonies of A. Gochiyayev, given to us on April 24, 2002, in full, preserving the author's original spelling and punctuation.

April 24, 2002 [ZAGS]

My name is Gochiyayev Achemez Shagabanovich. I was born on September 28, 1970, in the city of Karachaevsk, KChR (formerly Stavropol Krai). [Sec. school No. 3] [GUVD Karachaevsk]

• Until the age of 16, I lived in the city of Karachaevsk, graduated from secondary school No. 3, and lived at the address: Kurdzhieva St. 14, apt. 34.
• After finishing school, I went to study in Moscow, where I enrolled in PTU No. 67, which was located at the "Pervomayskaya" station.
• A year later, I graduated from the vocational school and was drafted into the army.
• Then, in the Strategic Missile Forces, I underwent training in Belarus for six months, and served the rest in Siberia, Altai Krai, Pervomaysky settlement.
• After the army, I stayed at home for about two years, then returned to Moscow, worked, and tried to engage in commerce.
• In 1996, I got married and received a residence permit; I am registered at: [OVD] Strogino, Marshal Katukov St. 6, apt. 188.
• In 1997, I opened my own firm, engaged in the construction of cottages and trade. The firm was called "Kapstroy 2000". [Reg. Chamber]

As for the FSB's claim that I am the organizer of the Moscow bombings, that I am connected with Basayev and Khattab, and that they paid me $500,000 for these bombings, and that I underwent training in a camp in Urus-Martan—all these claims are an absolute lie.

I have never had anything to do with the FSB or other similar structures.

As I wrote earlier, I lived and worked in Moscow; in June 1999, a person came to my firm whom I knew very well, since my school days. He suggested we go into business together; he said he had good opportunities for selling food products. First, he ordered mineral water from me; I brought it to him, he sold it, and settled the account with me on time. Then he told me that he needed premises in the southeast of Moscow where he supposedly had distribution points.

I helped him realize [secure/rent] these premises on Guryanova, on Kashirka, Borisovskie Prudy, and Kapotnya. On September 9, I was visiting someone, and at about 5 in the morning, this person called my mobile and said that there was a small fire at the warehouse on Guryanova and I needed to go there. I said I would come and started getting ready, turned on the TV, and saw what had actually happened, and I decided not to go anywhere and to wait it out. On September 13, when the explosion of the house on...

Account of Events

• Kashirskoye Highway. I finally realized that I had been set up.
• I immediately called the police, the ambulance, even the 911 emergency service and reported the warehouses at Borisov Ponds and Kapotnya, where after that the explosions were successfully prevented.
• I was declared a suspect, then an organizer, and since then I have had to hide.
• Analyzing all these events, I come to the conclusion that this entire monstrous plan was developed and implemented by those people for whom it was beneficial at the time.
• But there was one glitch in their plan: the fact that I managed to get away from them.
• I think the fact that on September 9th I was not at home but visiting played its part.
• Now I am almost certain that this person I worked with (I will provide all data on him later) is an FSB agent.

Official Misrepresentations

• Internal affairs officers of the city of Karachayevsk, upon request from Moscow, when preparing documents for them, indicated in them that I am a native of Chechnya, in order to somehow link me to Chechnya, when in fact I have never lived in Chechnya.

Knowledge of the Conspiracy

• From my brother Boris Gochiyayev, who works in the district police department, I learned that they have an order not to take me alive.
• Then I realized that the publicity the FSB gave me by declaring me a terrorist, an organizer of the bombings, a villain, etc., that all this was done on purpose; they hoped that by liquidating me they could trumpet to the whole country and the whole world that such a 'super-terrorist' who blew up houses in Moscow had been destroyed, and thereby close this terrible topic.

Treatment of Family

• Regarding my sister, I know that she was often interrogated; first they offered money, then they frightened, threatened, and beat her, trying to get testimony from her against me, so that she would publicly state that I committed these bombings.
• After that, they imprisoned her husband, Taukan Frantsuzov, accusing him of participating in the bombings in Moscow; then this accusation, as everyone knows, collapsed miserably, but he was still added to some group and sentenced to 13.5 years.
• I regard this as revenge against me. (If necessary, I can provide my sister's witness testimony, it will just take a little time).

Other Information

• As for Ryazan, I have never been there and do not know that city.

Willingness to Speak Publicly

• To the question of whether I am ready to go to a third country to make public statements: In the situation I find myself in, guarantees that would ensure my safety simply do not exist, but as for a public statement, I am ready to meet with a journalist (journalists) to answer all questions of interest.

This is a brief description of all the events that occurred (we will talk about the details later).

To the Chairman of the Public Commission
for the investigation of the apartment bombings in Moscow
Deputy of the State Duma of the RF
S. A. Kovalyov
Moscow

London, July 25, 2002

Dear Sergei Adamovich!

We are sending you materials regarding the testimony of ACHIMEZ GOCHIYAYEV for consideration at a meeting of the Commission.

Sincerely,

Alexander Litvinenko Yuri Felshtinsky