MOSCOW, March 1 (RAPSI) – Victims in a criminal case over hostage taking at the Dubrovka theater in southeast Moscow in 2002, which left 130 dead, have filed an appeal with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), lawyer Maria Kurakina told RAPSI on Thursday.

According to Kurakina, the appeal was lodged by 42 persons, including survivors of the attack and relatives of the deceased. They believe that there was a violation of the Article 6 (Right to a fair trial) of the European Convention of Human Rights in their case.

In March 2017, the Moscow District Military Court sentenced the alleged mastermind of the hostage taking, Khasan Zakayev, to 19 years in close confinement.

Zakayev was found guilty of participation in activities of an organized criminal group, preparation of an act of terror, accessory in hostage taking, attempted murder of two and more persons, illegal possession of firearms, and malicious destruction of property.

Later, the Supreme Court of Russia ruled to mitigate Zakayev’s sentence by 3 months while victims in the case asked the court to overturn his sentence and return the case to prosecutors.

The court found that Zakayev was a member of a criminal gang headed by Chechen separatist leader Shamil Basayev and assisted in organizing the terrorist attack and taking of hostages at the theater. In 2002, he allegedly organized transportation of weapon and homemade explosive devices to Moscow for terrorists.

A group of terrorists led by Movsar Barayev took hostage the audience and participants of the Nord-Ost musical on October 23, 2002. Forty attackers were killed. Zakayev is the only one who was arrested, victims’ lawyer Igor Trunov said earlier. The majority of hostages were released in an operation planned by Russian security services.