30 November 2006, 23:45
Human rights activists: Budanov takes his third try to get a pre-time release
On November 28, the human rights organization "Chechen Committee of National Rescue" distributed information that colonel Yuri Budanov had lodged a petition to the Ulyanovsk Regional Court on his pre-term release from the strict custody colony, where he is serving his sentence for the murder of Chechen young woman Elza Kungaeva.
The organization received this information from human rights activist Minkail Ezhiev. He asserted that he had a reliable information about convict Budanov's application to the Court.
However, Yuri Astakhov, Budanov's advocate, and the Ulyanovsk Department of the Federal Service for Correction and Punishment have refuted the information. Mr. Astakhov said yesterday: "My client is serving his sentence and so far was not going to lodge any petitions. I can't even guess who is disseminating these rumours and why."
On July 25 2003, the court pled Budanov guilty of kidnapping and assassination of Elza Kungaeva and sentenced him to ten years of deprivation of liberty.
