Rasul Kudayev is a resident of Kabardino-Balkaria. In 2001 he travelled to Pakistan to receive Islamic spiritual education, in Afghanistan he was detained by the Taliban on suspicion of espionage and imprisoned. While attempting to escape, he was wounded. After U.S. forces invaded Afghanistan, he was detained, sent to a U.S. camp, and later transferred to Camp Guantanamo Bay. In 2004, Kudaev, along with other Russian prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, was handed over to Russian authorities without charges from the U.S. side. Like the others, he was charged with illegal crossing of the state border, mercenarism and organisation of a criminal association, but was later released along with others.

On 15 August 2005, he was kidnapped right from his home and taken to the Anti-Organized Crime Directorate of the Republican Ministry of Internal Affairs, but was soon released thanks to the intervention of human rights activists. On 23 October he was detained on suspicion of participation in the attack on Nalchik on 13-14 October. Howerver according to him and eyewitnesses, he was first at home and then at a funeral during the attack. According to Amnesty International, Kudaev was subjected to ill-treatment (in particular, he was not provided with medical care) and torture. Kudaev's complaints were not properly investigated. On 4 March 2011, during the transfer of detainees to the new building of the Nalchik pre-trial detention facility, Kudaev was placed in a punishment cell for alleged "violations of the internal regulations of the pre-trial detention facility". Shortly thereafter, he was severely beaten by security guards.

The case was brought to court in 2007. At first it was heard by a jury, but after the adoption of amendments that juries cannot hear terrorism-related cases, a new court was formed. On 23 December 2014, the Supreme Court of Kabardino-Balkaria sentenced Kudayev to life imprisonment in a special regime colony.

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