Dagestan's Supreme Court has handed a 13-year sentence to an armed mutiny participant who was a member of gangs led by warlords Shamil Basayev and Khattab.An Investigative Committee official said, "Abdulla Abdulkerimov was found guilty under Article 279 of Russia's penal code (armed mutiny), Article 208 (participation in illegal paramilitary formation) and Article 222 (illegal turnover of weapons)."
The investigator said Abdulkerimov was a member of illegal armed groups set up by Basayev and Khattab, which invaded Dagestan's Botlikh district from Chechnya in 1999, to establish an Islamic state. Ninety servicemen and police were killed in the fighting, and thousands of residents had to flee their homes.
The Investigative Committee said, "Abdulkerimov was hiding from Russian investigators for a long time. In 2004, he was detained and convicted in Azerbaijan for the crimes committed in that republic. He was extradited to Russia in 2012."
Investigative Committee officials say more than 58 gunmen who participated in the invasion are on the wanted list.