“The investigation established that in mid-July 1999 these persons voluntarily joined the gang under the general leadership of Shamil Basayev and Emir Khattab and took an active part in committing grave and especially grave crimes,” the statement says.
The Investigative Committee noted that the detainees were suspected of participating "in an armed rebellion in order to overthrow the constitutional order and violate the territorial integrity of the Russian Federation."
In November, the Russian FSB announced the arrest of two former members of the Basayev and Khattab gang.