KBR resident accused of having links with terrorists

The criminal case of Mikhail Zhigunov, a resident of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR), accused of involvement in the terrorist community in the Kalmyk colony, the organizer of which is considered by investigators to be Shakhban Gasanov, who was killed in 2015 in Khasavyurt, has been sent to court.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in December 2019, investigators reported 22 suspects in the case of creating a terrorist community in Correctional Colony No. 2 located in Kalmykia. Five of them were detained in Dagestan, in the Krasnodar Territory and the Volgograd Region; three others, in 2014-2015, when back at large, were killed in Dagestan when rendering of armed resistance; the rest of them continue serving their sentences. On March 25, 2020, investigators reported five more detainees under the same case: residents of Dagestan, KBR and Stavropol Territory.

Investigators believe that in March 2015, Zhigunov, while serving his sentence in the above colony for drug dealing, voluntarily joined the terrorist community created by Gasanov, and took the name of Mukhamed for conspiracy.

According to investigators, Zhigunov and other prisoners studied the Arabic language, underwent ideological training and attended lectures given by community members based on the literature recognized as extremist.

Zhigunov faces up to 10 years in prison.