Investigation materials of criminal case on gang accused of committing terror attack on Abu Bakr mosque sent to court

The defendants faced charges under Articles 214 (terrorism), 120 (premeditated murder), 279 (creation of armed formations or groups, which are not provided by the legislation), 228 (illegal purchase, transfer, selling, storage, transportation or carrying of fire-arms, accessories to it, supplies explosives) of the Criminal Code. 18 sufferers and 92 witnesses were interrogated over the case.26 were detained during the initial investigation. They are Azerbaijanis Elnur Bashirov, Gudrat Malikov, Khalid Valimatov, Ulfat Malikov, Vahid Asadov, Zabit Shikhbabayev, Fariz Mammadov, Samir Babayev, Anar Valimatov, Rasim Isgandarov, Elshan Allahverdiyev, Rafig Agajanov, Taleh Maharramov, Teymur Narimanov, Bozorgi Kamran, Azer Bakhishov, Musa Orujov, Alexander Nuraliyev, Mammad Mammadov, Elkhan Osmanov, Zaur Jafarov, Rufat Rzayev, Sardar Bunyatov, Russian citizen Magomed Isayev and Turkish citizens Yamin Ali and Ozdemir Ergin.

A grenade was thrown into the Abu Bakr mosque owned by “Narimanov district believers” Religious Community on August 17. 2 were killed, 19 wounded in the aftermath of the incident.

According to indictment, Ilgar “Abdulmajeed” Mollachiyev from Zagathala region of Azerbaijan, his brother-in-law Samir “Suleyman” Mehdiyev and other persons involved in the radical religious group are accused in the explosion of Abu Bakr mosque in Baku on august 17, 2008. The “Sumgayit group” (Abu Jafar group) of 17, including its leader Naif Abdulkarim Al-Badawi was arrested by the Ministry of National Security in 2007. After the “Sumgayit group” arrest, Mollachiyev and Mehdiyev formed a new group planning the terrorist attacks to violate socio-political stability in Azerbaijan. 13 members of the group were arrested as a result of operation held by the Ministry of National Security. A great deal of guns, ammunitions, explosives and schemes, instructions, communication means, maps, methodical means of fighting tactics in the forests and mountains, military equipments were confiscated from them. Two of them – Taleh Maharramov and Samir Babayev gave to the investigators detailed information about the activity of their armed group, its plans and intentions. They said Samir Mehdiyev, Ilgar Mollachiyev and others illegally crossed the state borders of Azerbaijan on July 19 and arrived in Baku and Sumgayit with the suppprt of those persons. According to their plan, members of “Sumgayit Jamaat”, the first wing of “Forest Brotherhood”, had to commit robberies in Baku to get money for the ammunitions and terrorist attacks. “Guba-Gusar Jamaat”, the second wing of the group, had to set military camps in the mountainous and forestry areas of the republic. Araz Balabeyov, 38 and several persons, who reportedly were members of “Forest Brotherhood” according to the indictment, were killed during the anti-terror operations in southern regions of Dagestan.

/APA/