A former police officer who switched sides and joined with North Caucasus Ali Taziyev, also known by his alias Magas, is accused of setting up an armed militant group, illegal arms trafficking, terrorism, inciting rebellion and the attempted murder of a law enforcement officer. Charges against him include 24 counts of terrorism as well.
The trial, which will feature evidence from more than 600 victims and over 400 eyewitnesses, started amid tough security measures at the military court on Monday. Taziyev, who became one of the top leaders of the Imarat Kavkaz
He said, "I plead guilty to [charges under Article] 208 [setting up an illegal armed group] and to [Article] 222 [illegal possession of arms]. I plead not guilty to the rest of the charges. I haven't done any of that, and I gave no such orders."
| "The very idea!" |
Among other crimes he is suspected of the bombing of a bus in the town of Nevinnomyssk in December 2007, the bombing of a police station in the Nazran district of Ingushetia in August 2009, and an attempt to assassinate Ingush President Yunus-Bek Yevkurov in June 2009.
Prosecutors believe that Taziyev joined regional