Three members of Shamil Basaev’s armed group from Kabarda–Balkaria sentenced to lengthy prison terms
A military court in Rostov-on-Don has sentenced three residents of Kabarda–Balkaria to prison for participating in an attack on Russian paratroopers in Chechnya under Shamil Basaev’s command 25 years ago.
The Southern District Military Court has sentenced Aslanbek Kazanchev and Anzor Batyrov to 17 and 14 years in prison respectively for participating in a criminal gang, armed rebellion and attempting to kill military personnel. A third defendant, Taymuraz Nakusov, was also convicted, but had entered a pre-trial cooperation agreement and testified against Kazanchev and Batyrov.
The Investigative Committee of Russia confirmed the sentencing of Kazanchev and Batyrov, while the verdict for Nakusov is published on the court’s official website. Both Kazanchev and Batyrov denied the charges. Their verdicts have not yet entered into legal force and may be appealed.
According to case materials, Kazanchev and Batyrov joined an armed group formed in the 1990s in Chechnya under the leadership of rebel commanders Basaev and Ibn al-Khattab. The prosecution stated that in 1999 they arrived in the Shali district of the republic and became members of one of the militant units.
On 29 February 2000, troops from the 76th Guards Airborne Division based in Pskov detected the movement of an armed group near the village of Ulus-Kert in Chechnya’s Shatoysky District. That same day, a group of at least 2,000 militants was reportedly formed to confront the Russian forces, with Kazanchev and Batyrov among them. The battle lasted until 06:00. on 1 March. According to the case file, of the 90 paratroopers involved in the clash, 84 were killed and four sustained injuries.
According to Russian media outlet Kommersant, in court, both defendants denied involvement in the fighting or being members of an armed group. Batyrov, 44, from Kabarda–Balkaria, told the court that he was living and working as a loader in Nalchik between 1999 and 2000 and had not left the city.
Kazanchev, 53, also from Kabarda–Balkaria, claimed he had travelled to Chechnya in 1999 to receive religious education and military training. He said he trained with firearms at a camp in Urus-Martan under Basaev and Khattab, whom he viewed at the time as ‘defenders of the fatherland’.
In December 1999, after Russian air strikes targeted the camp, Kazanchev said he left and relocated to other villages. He claimed that on 29 February 2000, he was three to four kilometres from the site of the battle, and had a weapon but never used it against Russian forces.
According to his account, he changed into civilian clothes in March 2000, surrendered his weapon, and left Chechnya. He was later detained in Daghestan and sentenced for participating in an illegal armed formation. Kazanchev argued that his renewed prosecution was excessive, as he had already served a sentence for similar charges.
The prosecution’s case relied heavily on the testimony of Nakusov, a former member of the group who entered into a cooperation agreement with investigators. He testified that Kazanchev and Batyrov were members of the so-called ‘Kabardian Jamaat’ under Basaev and Khattab. All three were reportedly detained on the same day in May 2023.
Although Nakusov admitted to taking part in the battle against the Pskov paratroopers, he said he could not recall whether Batyrov and Kazanchev had been present. Three other classified witnesses, identified as former members of the armed group, also testified that Kazanchev and Batyrov had been part of the same unit.
Despite cooperating with investigators, admitting guilt, and citing his five children and a wife on maternity leave, Nakusov was sentenced to 11 and a half years in a high-security prison, according to the court’s ruling. He has already appealed the decision to the Military Court of Appeal, which upheld the verdict, stating that all mitigating circumstances had been considered.
Batyrov had a previous conviction — in 2006, he was sentenced to two and a half years in a penal settlement for participating in an illegal armed group. He has three underage children. Under Russian law, having underage children allows for a more lenient sentence. Aslanbek Kazanchev was previously convicted in 2000 and sentenced to five years for membership in an armed group and illegal possession of weapons. In 2022, he was sentenced to six months of correctional labour for failing to pay child support. He also has three children and lives in Baksan.
According to Russian security agencies, more than 2,000 militants participated in the battle against the Pskov paratroopers. The exact number of people prosecuted in connection with this event is unknown.
However, media reports suggest that at least 40 individuals have faced charges. Some remain on the federal wanted list, while others were detained in recent years across various North Caucasus republics and have already been sentenced.
Elizaveta Chukharova
