Ruslan Yamadayev

Ruslan (Khalid or Halid)[1] Bekmirzayevich Yamadayev (Russian: Руслан (Халид) Бекмирзаевич Ямадаев) (10 December 1961 – 24 September 2008) was a Chechen military leader and politician. A member of the high-profile Yamadayev family, he was assassinated in Moscow in 2008.[2][3][4][5][6][7] Yamadayev was one of Kremlin's most loyal allies.[8]

Ruslan Yamadayev
Ruslan Yamadayev after receiving the Hero of the Russian Federation award in 2004.
Native name
Руслан Ямадаев
Born(1961-12-10)10 December 1961
Gudermes, Chechen-Ingush ASSR, USSR
Died24 September 2008(2008-09-24) (aged 46)
Moscow, Russia
Allegiance
RankColonel
Battles/wars
Awards Hero of the Nation
Hero of the Russian Federation

Biography

Ruslan Yamadayev belonged to the Gudermes-based Chechen Benoi teip. Along with his brothers Sulim Yamadayev and Dzhabrail Yamadayev, he fought against the Russian forces during the First Chechen War before turning to Russia's side in 1999.[9]

For his struggle against the separatists in the Second Chechen War, Yamadayev was promoted to the rank of colonel and granted the title of Hero of the Russian Federation. From 2003 to 2007, he was a deputy to the State Duma from Chechnya. In 2004, he was nominated for the Chechen presidency.[10][11] He and his brothers ran several businesses, including a car market, a construction company, and a concrete factory, in Chechnya.[12]

Death

On 24 September 2008, Ruslan Yamadayev was assassinated on Smolenskaya Embankment in central Moscow near the Russian White House[13] when returning from a meeting in the Kremlin.[14] He was shot ten times while sitting in a car owned by his brother Sulim Yamadayev. Initially, it was reported the name of the victim as Sulim, which was corrected later.[15] The other victim of the shooting, the former military commandant of Chechnya and retired Colonel General Sergei Kizyun, was hospitalized in grave condition.[16] The Russian police launched a criminal case on charges of murder and attempted murder.[17]

The pro-Moscow president of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov who had, in the months prior to the assassination, engaged in a bitter rivalry with the Yamadayevs[18][19] denied accusations of being behind the killing,[20] and suggested Yamadayev fell victim of a blood feud.[21] Sulim Yamadayev also accused Kadyrov[22] and promised to take revenge.[23] He also denied the claims of Kadyrov, stating that his brother did not have any blood feud or business clashes that could have caused his assassination.[12]

Aftermath

Sulim himself was reported killed on 29 March 2009 in Dubai.[24]

In April 2009, a court in Moscow convicted two Chechens of the assassination of Yamadayev.[25] Aslanbek Dadayev, Yamadayev's murderer, was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment, and Elimpasha Khatsuev, who drove the car, was sentenced to 15 years in prison.[25]

See also

References
  1. "Sulim Goes to Chechnya to Bury Brother Despite Potential Trap". Kommersant. 26 September 2008. Archived from the original on 30 March 2012. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
  2. Prominent Chechen gunned down in Moscow, Reuters, 24 September 2008
  3. Former Russian MP Yamadayev killed in Moscow, RIA Novosti, 24 September 2008
  4. Ex-lawmaker from powerful Chechen clan murdered in Moscow, France 24, 24 September 2008 Archived 25 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  5. Yamadayev Shot Dead in City Center, The Moscow Times, 25 September 2008 Archived 29 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  6. Powerful Chechen Clan Leader Killed in Moscow, The Other Russia, 25 September 2008
  7. Chechen Politician, a Former Rebel Leader, Is Slain in Moscow, The Washington Post, 25 September 2008
  8. Are, Dzhambulat (30 September 2008). "Death of a hero". Prague Watchdog. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
  9. "Speculation Swirls After Kadyrov Rival Is Slain In Russian Capital". The Journal of Turkish Weekly. Moscow. RFE/RL. 26 September 2008. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
  10. Ruslan Yamadayev nominated for Chechen presidency, Memorial, 1 June 2004
  11. Ruslan Yamadayev Claims to Take Chechnya President Post, Gazeta.ru, 1 June 2004
  12. "Sulim Yamadayev hopes that Ramzan Kadyrov did not kill his brother". Kavkaz Center. 29 September 2008. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
  13. (in Russian) Руслан Ямадаев убит под окнами Белого дома, Gazeta.ru, 24 September 2008
  14. Yamadaev Killed After Important Meeting in Kremlin Archived 28 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine, Kommersant, 25 September 2008
  15. In Moscow, ex-deputy of State Duma Ruslan Yamadaev was murdered, not his brother Sulim, Memorial, 24 September 2008
  16. "Chechnya's President Lost the Best Enemy". Kommersant. 25 September 2008. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
  17. Brother says no reason for Chechen ex-MP Yamadayev's murder, RIA Novosti, 29 September 2008
  18. Tensions In Chechnya Boil Over, The St. Petersburg Times, 18 April 2008
  19. Yamadaev vs. Kadyrov: The Kremlin's Quandary with Chechnya, The Jamestown Foundation, 17 April 2008 Archived 28 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  20. Chechen president denies link to former Russian MP's assassination, The Guardian, 25 September 2008
  21. Kadyrov Says Killing Tied to Blood Feud, The Moscow Times, 26 September 2008 Archived 29 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  22. Rival accuses pro-Kremlin Chechen leader of murder, Reuters, 25 September 2008
  23. Russia: Chechen Vows to Avenge Killing, The New York Times, 25 September 2008 Archived 10 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  24. Report: Kadyrov Foe Sulim Yamadayev Slain in Dubai, The Moscow Times, 30 March 2009 Archived 2 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  25. "Moscow court convicts 2 Chechen natives of Ruslan Yamadayev's murder". Ria Novoski. 18 October 2010. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
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