29 September 2005
DAILY REVIEW FROM TATARSTAN
Jury Acquits Suspects In Pipeline-Explosion Case
Jurors in the case of two former prisoners of the U.S. military facility at Cuba's Guantanamo Bay -- Timur Ishmoradov and Rawyl Gumarov -- along with another man acquitted all three defendants of charges that they were behind a gas-pipeline explosion in Bogelme, in Tatarstan, RFE/RL's Kazan bureau reported the same day.
The Tatarstan branch of Federal Security Service (FSB), which investigated the case, was reportedly disappointed with the verdict.
Previous reports in Tatarstan's media have suggested the 8 January explosion near the Bogelme FSB office subsequently led to the arrests of alleged leaders of the banned Islamist Hizb ut-Tahrir group. The FSB's allegations were based largely on the fact that it had closed down Hizb ut-Tahrir affiliates in the Aznakay and Elmet regions and in the city of Chally shortly before the bombing. Both Ishmoratov and Gumarov were extradited by the United States to Russia in 2002.
Economy Ministry Pledges 6.1 Percent Growth In 2005
The Republic of Tatarstan's gross regional product is expected to reach 475.5 billion rubles ($17 billion), suggesting growth of 6.1 percent over 2004, AK&M reported on 29 September, quoting the republican Economy and Industry Ministry. Consumer prices reportedly climbed 11 percent in the same period, representing a slowdown of 1.7 percent compared with the inflation rate of the previous year. Meanwhile, investments into the republican economy in 2005 are expected to reach 101.2 billion rubles ($3.6 billion), indicating a 14.6 percent year-on-year increase, while profits of local industries are expected to grow by almost 2 percent and total 82 billion rubles ($2.9 billion).
Compiled by Iskender Nurmi