A group of people, dubbed “the Amazons” by Russian media, who are accused of a series of highway attacks and police murders over a period of six years went on trial in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don on Thursday, the Investigative Committee said in a statement.
The preliminary court hearings for Inessa and Viktoria Tarverdiyeva and Sergei and Anastasia Sinelnik took place behind closed doors, news agency TASS reported, citing a court spokesperson.
All are facing long prison sentences on charges of murder, formation of an illegal armed group, robbery and illegal weapons trading, according to the Investigative Committee.
The criminal group was formed by Inessa and her daughter, Viktoria Tarverdiyeva, in 2007 and was responsible for the deaths of at least two police officers, the Investigative Committee said. Investigators have previously said that the group committed a total of 30 murders over 10 years.
The most notorious murder of which they are accused is the killing of police officer Dmitry Chudakov and his family, including two young children, on a highway in Rostov region in 2009, according to the Investigative Committee.
The trial's preliminary hearings will resume on Nov. 26, the Interfax news agency reported.
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