Eighteen people were killed and at least 90 others injured in a powerful car bomb blast that took place in the capital Makhachkala, outside a local television center, September 4, 1998.
Magomed Mukhtarov, now 47, also known under alias The Hunchback, was arrested in February 2004 after eluding the authorities for six years.
In February of 2005, the Dagestan Supreme Court officially charged Mukhtarov with organizing the 1998 attack. The court found Mukhtarov guilty and sentenced him to life in prison.
However, Russia's Supreme Court annulled the court decision, citing violations in court procedures and ordered a re-trial of the case.
The Dagestan Supreme Court held a second trial in May 2006 and reduced Mukhtarov's sentence to 23 years.
Prosecutors appealed the court's decision and demanded a more severe sentence for the terrorist.
Mukhtarov's accomplice, Magomed Khanov, is already serving a life sentence for his role in the attack.
