Chechen terrorist gets only 20-year imprisonment for murder

On Tuesday the Stavropol Territorial Court in Mineralnye Vody passed a surprisingly mild sentence on a prominent Chechen terrorist. While the struggle against terrorists is becoming ever tougher in the world, the Pyatigorsk court sentenced Chechen Alvi Khaiderkhanov, 23, to only 20 years of imprisonment, although he was considered guilty on seven counts of the Criminal Code of Russia - terrorism, murder, participation in illegal armed formations, inflicting bodily injuries, encroachment upon the life of member of a law-enforcement body, illegal possession of arms and destruction of property.

Khaiderkhanov joined the terrorist gang led by Magomed Khadzhimuradov nicknamed "Polkovnik" (colonel) in 1999. In April 2001 the former placed an explosive device on the Khankala-Argun railway span and blew up a platform with military hardware on it. In June of the same year he blew up an echelon on the Mozdok-Khankala branch-line, in which 2 servicemen were killed and 8 wounded.