TERRORISTS TRIAL OVER IN UZBEKISTAN

TASHKENT, August 25 (RIA Novosti) - In Tashkent, the Supreme Court of Uzbekistan has completed the trial of 15 members of an organized criminal ring. They were charged with preparing and conducting a series of terrorist acts in Tashkent, the Bukhara and Tashkent regions in the spring of 2004.

The verdict was made public on Wednesday. The accused were found guilty of committing especially grave crimes on 17 articles of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan - terrorism, attempt at a forcible change of the constitutional order, religious extremism, premeditated murder with aggravating circumstances, seizure and illegal possession of small arms and ammunition, production and keeping of smuggled explosives.

The press service of the Supreme Court told RIA Novosti that its Judicial Board for Criminal Cases, taking into consideration the defendants' whole-hearted repentance and conscientious aid to the investigating authorities, sentenced all of them to imprisonment for a term from 6 to 18 years.

The group's acts of terrorism in late March-early April left 28 people dead. In the shootouts 16 militants were killed, 15 terrorists blasted themselves on self-made bombs. About 50 people were wounded.