Achemez Gochiyaev
Encyclopedia
Achemez Gochiyayev is a Russian citizen who was accused of organizing Russian apartment bombings
, a series of terrorist acts in 1999 that killed nearly 300 people and led the country into the Second Chechen War
. The five bombings took place during two weeks between September 4 and September 16, 1999 in Moscow
, and south towns of Buynaksk
and Volgodonsk
. Gochiyaev has not been arrested or convicted and remains a fugitive.
. After finishing high school, he served in Russian Strategic Rocket Forces. He ran a small food-distribution company since 1997 in Moscow and got married in 1996.
Gochyayev rented premises on four locations in Moscow where bombs were found. He, Tatyana Koroleva and Alexander Karmishin were founders of the company that received shipments of the explosives, RDX
, used in the bombings. When two first bombs run off claiming more than 200 lives, he called to police to warn about two remaining bombs (at Borisovskie Prudy and Kapotnya). The remaining bombs were found on the addresses he indicated and deactivated, which helped to prevent a large number of further casualties. Gochiyaev claimed that he was framed by his old acquaintance, an FSB officer who asked him to rent basements "as storage facilities" at four locations where bombs were later found
to carry out the attacks. FSB released a picture showing the two together, claiming that it proved that the two had close links. Both Russia and USA accuse Al-Khattab of having direct links with Al-Qaida.
Gochiyaev's group was trained at Chechen rebel bases in the towns of Serzhen-Yurt and Urus-Martan, where the explosives were prepared. The group's "technical instructors" were two Arab field commanders, Abu Umar and Abu Djafar, and the bombings' brainchild was another Arab field commander, Ibn Al-Khattab
.
, the person who actually rented the premises was FSB officer Vladimir Romanovich. Trepashkin says he was unable to present his evidence to the court, since he was arrested on charges of illegal arms possession a week before the trial. He was convicted by a military closed court
for illegal arms possession and for divulging state secrets to four years in prison. Romanovich was subsequently killed in a hit and run accident in Cyprus
. Gochiyev escaped to Georgia
and later probably to Turkey
, according to news reports.
The owner of a Guryanov St. basement warehouse in Moscow, Mark Blumenfeld, said the composite sketch of the man who rented his basement was later replaced with a different sketch. Mr. Blumenfeld pointed out that the inquest pressured him at Lefortovo
to testify against Gochiyaev, the man identified by the latter sketch.
Russian apartment bombings
The Russian apartment bombings were a series of explosions that hit four apartment blocks in the Russian cities of Buynaksk, Moscow, and Volgodonsk in September 1999, killing 293 people and injuring 651. The explosions occurred in Buynaksk on 4 September, Moscow on 9 and 13 September, and...
, a series of terrorist acts in 1999 that killed nearly 300 people and led the country into the Second Chechen War
Second Chechen War
The Second Chechen War, in a later phase better known as the War in the North Caucasus, was launched by the Russian Federation starting 26 August 1999, in response to the Invasion of Dagestan by the Islamic International Peacekeeping Brigade ....
. The five bombings took place during two weeks between September 4 and September 16, 1999 in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, and south towns of Buynaksk
Buynaksk
Buynaksk is a town in the Republic of Dagestan, Russia, located at the foothills of the Greater Caucasus on the Shura-Ozen River, southwest of the republic's capital Makhachkala. Population: 40,000 ....
and Volgodonsk
Volgodonsk
Volgodonsk is a city in Rostov Oblast, Russia, located in the eastern part of the oblast on the west bank of the Tsimlyansk Reservoir. Population: 28,000 .-History:...
. Gochiyaev has not been arrested or convicted and remains a fugitive.
Biography
Gochyiaev is an ethnic Karachai (rather than a Chechen), born in the city of Karachaevsk at North CaucasusNorth Caucasus
The North Caucasus is the northern part of the Caucasus region between the Black and Caspian Seas and within European Russia. The term is also used as a synonym for the North Caucasus economic region of Russia....
. After finishing high school, he served in Russian Strategic Rocket Forces. He ran a small food-distribution company since 1997 in Moscow and got married in 1996.
His involvement in bombings
Gochyayev rented premises on four locations in Moscow where bombs were found. He, Tatyana Koroleva and Alexander Karmishin were founders of the company that received shipments of the explosives, RDX
RDX
RDX, an initialism for Research Department Explosive, is an explosive nitroamine widely used in military and industrial applications. It was developed as an explosive which was more powerful than TNT, and it saw wide use in WWII. RDX is also known as cyclonite, hexogen , and T4...
, used in the bombings. When two first bombs run off claiming more than 200 lives, he called to police to warn about two remaining bombs (at Borisovskie Prudy and Kapotnya). The remaining bombs were found on the addresses he indicated and deactivated, which helped to prevent a large number of further casualties. Gochiyaev claimed that he was framed by his old acquaintance, an FSB officer who asked him to rent basements "as storage facilities" at four locations where bombs were later found
FSB investigation
According to FSB, Gochiyayev received $500,000 from warlord Ibn Al-KhattabIbn al-Khattab
Samir Saleh Abdullah Al-Suwailem , more commonly known as Emir Khattab meaning Commander Khattab, or Leader Khattab, and also known as Habib Abdul Rahman, was a Muslim guerilla fighter and financier working with Chechen Mujahideen in the First Chechen War...
to carry out the attacks. FSB released a picture showing the two together, claiming that it proved that the two had close links. Both Russia and USA accuse Al-Khattab of having direct links with Al-Qaida.
Gochiyaev's group was trained at Chechen rebel bases in the towns of Serzhen-Yurt and Urus-Martan, where the explosives were prepared. The group's "technical instructors" were two Arab field commanders, Abu Umar and Abu Djafar, and the bombings' brainchild was another Arab field commander, Ibn Al-Khattab
Ibn al-Khattab
Samir Saleh Abdullah Al-Suwailem , more commonly known as Emir Khattab meaning Commander Khattab, or Leader Khattab, and also known as Habib Abdul Rahman, was a Muslim guerilla fighter and financier working with Chechen Mujahideen in the First Chechen War...
.
An attempt of independent investigation
According to former FSB officer Mikhail TrepashkinMikhail Trepashkin
Mikhail Ivanovich Trepashkin, is a Moscow attorney and former FSB colonel who was invited by MP Sergei Kovalev to assist in an independent inquiry of the Russian apartment bombings in September 1999 – the atrocities that followed Dagestan war and were one of the triggers for the Second Chechen...
, the person who actually rented the premises was FSB officer Vladimir Romanovich. Trepashkin says he was unable to present his evidence to the court, since he was arrested on charges of illegal arms possession a week before the trial. He was convicted by a military closed court
Secret trial
A secret trial is a trial that is not open to the public, nor generally reported in the news, especially any in-trial proceedings. Generally no official record of the case or the judge's verdict is made available. Often there is no indictment...
for illegal arms possession and for divulging state secrets to four years in prison. Romanovich was subsequently killed in a hit and run accident in Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
. Gochiyev escaped to Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
and later probably to Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, according to news reports.
The owner of a Guryanov St. basement warehouse in Moscow, Mark Blumenfeld, said the composite sketch of the man who rented his basement was later replaced with a different sketch. Mr. Blumenfeld pointed out that the inquest pressured him at Lefortovo
Lefortovo
Lefortovo could refer to a number of places or things in or around Moscow, Russia:*Lefortovo District, a district in South-Eastern Administrative Okrug*Lefortovo prison, a prison*Lefortovo tunnel, a road tunnel...
to testify against Gochiyaev, the man identified by the latter sketch.
Sources
- Yuri Felshtinsky, Alexander LitvinenkoAlexander LitvinenkoAlexander Valterovich Litvinenko was an officer who served in the Soviet KGB and its Russian successor, the Federal Security Service ....
, and Geoffrey Andrews. "Blowing up Russia: Terror from WithinBlowing up Russia: Terror from withinBlowing Up Russia: Terror from Within is a book written by Alexander Litvinenko and Yuri Felshtinsky. The authors alleged that the Russian apartment bombings and other September 1999 terrorist acts were committed by the Federal Security Service...
". Gibson Square Books, London, 2007. ISBN 978-1-903933-95-4 (freely available as a PDF file). - Alex GoldfarbAlexander Goldfarb (microbiologist)Alexander Davidovich Goldfarb is a Russian-American microbiologist, activist, and author. He emigrated from the USSR in 1975 and lived in Israel and Germany before settling permanently in New York in 1982. Goldfarb is a naturalized American citizen...
, with Marina Litvinenko Death of a Dissident: The Poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko and the Return of the KGBDeath of a DissidentDeath of a Dissident: The Poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko and the Return of the KGB is a book written by Alexander Goldfarb and Marina Litvinenko about the life and death of her husband, former FSB officer, and double-agent Alexander Litvinenko, who was poisoned by the radioactive element...
, The Free Press, 2007, ISBN 1-4165-5165-4 - ACHIMEZ GOCHIYAYEV: RUSSIA’S TERRORIST ENIGMA RETURNS By Andrew Mc Gregor
- Четыре туза Computer translation
- Террористы всегда платили наличными Computer translation
- Взрывы в Москве Computer translation