The North Caucasus military District Court in Rostov-on-Don has started the trial of Ali Taziyev, nicknamed Magas, one of the leader of the Imarat Kavkaz gang, suspected organizer of the failed assassination of Ingush Leader Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, RIA Novosti reports.
Two lawyers will defend Taziyev, who admitted organizing an illegal armed formation and illegal storage of weapons.
He is charged with 24 crimes. The case has over 600 victims and over 400 witnesses. He violated 15 articles of the Criminal Code, including trafficking weapons, banditism, terrorism, attacks on police officers.
Taziyev is suspected of blowing up a bus in Nevinnomyssk in December 2007, killing 3 and injuring 17. He is suspected of killing 21 and injuring 289 in a blast at a police station in the Nazranovsky District of Ingushetia in August 2009. His gang is suspected of attacking Yevkurov in June 2009. Two bodyguards were killed, two bodyguards and Yevkurov were injured.
Taziyev was caught in North Ossetia in June 2010.
