Judge proclaims sole surviving Beslan attacker guilty
A southern Russian court today said the sole surviving Beslan school attacker deserved the death penalty, but sentenced him to life in prison because of the Russian moratorium on capital punishment.
In Vladikavkaz, Nur-Pashi Kulayev was found guilty of taking hostages, responsibility for the deaths of 330 people and of inflicting material damage of 34 million rubles (about €1m).
Judge Tamerlan Aguzarov said Kulayev had detonated a bomb that had dealt bodily harm to hostages and government troops.
The judge said 16 hostages whom the militants executed on the first day of the assault had died in part due to Kulayev’s actions.
Mothers of the victims, wearing mourning black, crowded the courtroom today, the eighth day of the verdict reading, to hear the sentence.
Some held banners reading, “There is no forgiveness of the authorities who let Beslan happen,” and photos of tanks and dead children.
Survivors and victims’ relatives also claim many deaths occurred because troops fired at the school from tanks and flame-throwers, sparking a fire that caused the roof to collapse over many wounded.
