MOSCOW, January 28 (RAPSI) – The Moscow City Court has upheld the detention of Khasan Zakayev, one of the suspected organizers of a deadly hostage crisis at the Dubrovka theatre in Moscow in October 2002 that left 130 dead, the court’s press office told RAPSI on Wednesday.

The court thus dismissed an appeal filed Zakayev’s defense challenging the extension of his detention. Zakayev will remain jailed until February 18.
Wanted Zakayev, a 41-year-old resident of Chechnya, has been arrested while attempting to enter Crimea using forged documents. Russian authorities reportedly reopened investigation into the case in December.

Zakayev has been charged with masterminding the terrorist attack, attempted murder by a group of persons and being a member of a criminal gang.  If convicted, he faces life in prison.

A group of terrorists led by Movsar Barayev took hostage the audience and participants of the Nord-Ost musical on October 23, 2002. All 40 attackers were killed. The majority of hostages were released in an operation planned by Russian security services.

According to investigators, Chechen separatist leader Shamil Basayev who was reportedly killed in 2006 and Gerikhan Dudayev who is still at large are among the organizers of the attack.