February 27, 2008 - 14:55 AMT
Skinheads accused of murdering Armenian and Azeri found guilty in Altay region of Russia
The jury sentenced two residents of Biysk town of Altay region, Russia, to 17 and 15 years in prison.

At the trial the accused claimed they assaulted people for robbery but not through national hatred. The third accused, who was not found guilty of perpetration of murder, was handed a 6-year sentence.

As reported earlier, Armenia-native Hrachik Baghramyan, 50, was assaulted on October 15, 2006 in Biysk. Azeri Ziyadhan Eyvazov was killed on November 1.

The investigation traced young men privy to the crimes. During a search in their apartments the police found hammers, baseball bat, flaps of fabric with inscription Skin Head, leaflets and various nationalistic literature.