2005-04-19


Preliminary hearings have been held for the surviving hostage-taker of the Beslan School raid in southern Russia.  The trial is set to commence on 17 May and will be held at the Supreme Court of North Ossetia, the place where the raid took place.  General Nikolai Shepel, Russia's Deputy Prosecutor said it will be open to the public.

More than 1,000 were held in a school for nearly three days before authorities raided the school to free the hostages.  330 people were killed in the ensuing gunfire and explosions, at least half of them were children.

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