Russia sentences exiled Ichkerian leader to 20 years in prison in absentia

Akhmad Zakaev, the head of the Ichkerian government in exile, was found guilty of ‘terrorism’.

Russia has sentenced exiled Ichkerian leader Akhmed Zakaev and Murad Yusupov, the commander of a Chechen volunteer battalion in Ukraine, in absentia to long prison terms on terrorism charges.

Zakaev and Yusupov were sentenced to 20 and 19 years respectively in a maximum security prison. Yusupov was tried under articles on the organisation of not only ‘terrorist community’ but also an ‘illegal armed formation’.

According to the investigation, in July 2022, Zakaev proclaimed himself to be the leader of the independent Chechen Republic and created a battalion within the Foreign Legion of the Ukrainian army, the command of which was assumed by Yusupov, the press service of the Southern Military District Court reported.

The self-proclaimed Chechen Republic of Ichkeria was established after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and existed until 2000, with Russia crushing its government and forces after two wars.

Russia’s criminal prosecution of Zakaev and Yusupov was based on Russian law enforcement agencies asserting in August 2022 ‘the fact of the battalion's functioning’. In addition, in January 2021, Zakaev recorded an address on YouTube in which he allegedly ‘spoke favourably’ about the armed assailants killed in Chechnya. In the video in question, Zakaev condemns the killing of field commander Aslan Byutukaev’s pro-Chechen independence fighters. The video is now unavailable on YouTube.

On this basis, the court concluded that the entire battalion supported ‘the ideology and practice of terrorism’ — in addition to Zakaev’s statements, Yusupov’s presence in Syria from January 2013 to January 2015, where, according to investigators, he fought as part of an ‘illegal armed formation’, was cited as evidence.

Zakaev and Yusupov were previously listed as extremists and terrorists by Russia’s Federal Financial Monitoring Service (Rosfinmonitoring). Yusupov is considered to be the commander of the Separate Battalion of Special Purpose, which is part of the Ukrainian Foreign Legion, but the unit is officially headed by Hadzhi-Murad Zumso.
Several Ichkerian units are fighting for Ukraine. In addition to OBON, they are the Sheikh Mansur Battalion, the Dzhokhar Dudaev Battalion; the Mad Pack unit; the Special Operation Group (SOG) and the Khamzat Gelaev Battalion.

Earlier, Chechen Head Ramzan Kadyrov declared a blood feud against Ichkerian supporters who fight for Ukraine. Zakaev’s nephew was then forcibly sent to the war in Ukraine as punishment. In addition, in 2022, Kadyrov called on Chechen natives to kill Zakaev, and said he would not stop persecuting him even under the threat of a negative reaction from Moscow.

In October 2022, Ukraine recognised Chechnya to be ‘occupied territory’.

Ukrainian Parliament recognises independence of Chechnya

The Ukrainian parliament has recognised the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria as an independent state that is ‘temporarily’ occupied by Russia, as well as condemning ‘the commission of genocide against the Chechen people’. Members of the Verkhovna Rada unanimously adopted the resolution on Tuesday. ’…

OC MediaRobin Fabbro

In the 1990s, Zakaev was a field commander in Ichkeria. He was also former Minister of Culture and Deputy Prime Minister of Ichkeria. Since 2000, Zakaev has been living in London and has been granted political asylum there. In 2002, the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office charged him in absentia with 13 counts, including murder, terrorism, and hostage-taking, and demanded Britain extradite him. However, the London Magistrates’ Court refused to extradite Zakaev in 2003.