Chechen Prisoners Will Be Released on January 4

Chechen Prisoners Will Be Released on January 4

Media News. On January 25 Supreme Court of Georgia passed final sentence regarding the so called Chechens’ case. Supreme Court’s Chamber of Appeal has relieved their verdict. 4-year imprisonment of Khanchukaev, Magamedov, Isaev and Kushtanashvili has been changed into 2 years and 5 months. As far as Aliev had been tried earlier, his imprisonment has been reduced to 2.8 years. 

Chechen prisoners’ interests have been defended by the NGO “42nd Article of the Constitution.” Advocates have appealed against the decision of Tbilisi Regional Court according to which their defendants had been sentenced to 4-year imprisonment.

Khanchukaev, Magamedov, Isaev, Kushtanashvili and Aliev were detained by Georgian law-enforcement officers in June, 2002, since they were charged with illegal crossing of Georgian-Russian border and with the illegal import of weapons.

Later, when they were to be extradited to Russia, all the five condemned have resisted against the prison administration and as a result of this disobedience they have been deprived of freedom for 4 years.

By the time advocates have appealed to the Chamber of Cassation, accusation of crossing Georgian-Russian border illegally and illegal import of weapons had already been lifted of all of them.

In interview with Media News Tea Gadrani, the advocate of Chechens has stated, that her defendants, except Aliev would be discharged from prison on January 4, 2005.