Trial begins for only surviving Beslan hostage-taker News
Trial begins for only surviving Beslan hostage-taker

[JURIST] The trial of Nur-Pashi Kulayev, the sole surviving member of the militant group responsible for Beslan School Crisis [Wikipedia entry; BBC backgrounder] in September 2004, began Tuesday under tight security in Vladikavkaz, the capital of Russia's North Ossetian region. Kulayev has been charged with terrorism, banditry and murder, among other things. While he admits playing a role in the seizure, Kalayev insists he killed no one. The maximum sentence Kalayev could receive is life in prison, as Russia imposed a moratorium on the death penalty in 1996 to join the Council of Europe [official website]. AP has more.