Prosecutor demands lengthy sentences for extortioners

The prosecutor at the trial in Mineralnye Vody demanded lengthy terms of imprisonment for three natives of Chechnya who were members of a criminal group of extortionists, reported the prosecutor's office in the Stavropol Territory on Tuesday.

In the prosecutor's opinion, Khizir Tselayev, nicknamed Dzhabrail should be sentenced to 14 years' of imprisonment, Ayubkhan Vakhidov -- to 13 years, and Ruslan Iskhadzhiyev to 12.5 years in strict regime colonies.

The investigation has established that in February this year the members of the gang attacked a 48-year-old businessman. Threatening to kill him (they beat him up and even shot his leg) the blackmailers forced him to give them 340,000 roubles, a Nissan Patrol jeep, a Belarus tractor, 60 tons of flour, 10 tons of wheat, as well as documents for the flour mill that belonged to him.

The extortionists are also accused of having beaten up the 38-year old chairman of the collective enterprise Vozrozhdeniye and forced him to give them a certificate that he owed them US$50,000 dollars.

During the searches in the homes of the detained men stolen valuables and a hunting rifle with cartridges were confiscated.