Russian authorities have announced the arrest of a man involved in an armed gang attack on soldiers from the 6th Company of the Pskov Airborne Division of the Russian army in Chechnya in 2000. The Federal Security Service and the Russian Investigative Committee stated in a statement today, Wednesday: "Another member of the gang involved in the attack has been arrested, namely Islam Batsiev, a resident of the Republic of Dagestan."
The statement added that the man has been placed in custody and will soon be charged under a provision of the criminal law of the Russian Federation related to "armed rebellion and participation in a gang and assault on the life of a soldier."
The Russian Federal Security Service reported that Batsiev, 46 years old, was arrested on March 20 in the village of Biram Aul in the Khasavyurt region of Dagestan. According to the Investigative Committee, the involvement of 43 people in the attack has already been established, with 24 of them sentenced to long prison terms, including life imprisonment.
Five are still on the wanted list, and criminal proceedings against two of the accused have been terminated due to their deaths while resisting arrest. Courts are currently reviewing the cases of eight other defendants.
The Investigative Committee confirmed "the continuation of efforts to locate participants in terrorist crimes from previous years who have evaded criminal responsibility." It is noteworthy that 84 members of the Pskov airborne division were killed during a battle against a significantly larger armed force near the village of Ulus-Kert in the Shatoy region of Chechnya in February 2000.
