The lawyers of Anatoly Belyashkov and Vasily Pokshev said they would appeal the conviction. At the same time, they expressed satisfaction that their clients had not been sentenced to death.

For his part, Chechen rebel envoy Akhmed Zakayev told reporters he was satisfied with the verdict. He said he did not care what would happen to the Russian agents later. “In any case, they were found guilty of killing Yandarbiyev,” he stressed.

Meanwhile, Moscow insists that the two Russians were not involved in the assassination. “Respecting the judicial procedures of Qatar, our lawyers will appeal the verdict,” he said. He added that the Russian government would continue efforts to get the two men back to Russia as soon as possible.

Former Chechen leader Zelimkhan Yanderbiyev, who was living in exile in Qatar, was killed in a car bombing in Doha on February 13. On February 19, Qatari authorities arrested three Russian citizens on suspicion of involvement in the assassination. Later they released one of the arrested Russians, who had diplomatic immunity. First Secretary of the Russian Embassy in Qatar Alexander Fetisov returned to Russia on March 24. The other two Russians were indicted on February 26. On June 8, the prosecution demanded the death penalty for the Russian agents, while the defense asked the court to find their clients not guilty on all charges and pass them over to the Russian Ambassador in Doha.

On June 11, official spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry Alexander Yakovenko said Moscow was taking all the necessary measures to free the two Russians. It is not ruled out that Emir of Qatar will pardon the Russian agents.