Russia intends to prosecute members of the UNA-UNSO ultranationalist party for being part of the gang that fought alongside militant leaders Shamil Basayev and Arab mercenary Emir Khattab [Thamir Saleh Abdullah Suwailem] in the North Caucasus in 1994-95, said Vladimir Markin, the spokesman for the Investigative Committee.

“There has been enough evidence collected to take the decision and bring them in as defendants in absentia within the nearest time for preventive detention and put them on the wanted list,” he said.

The UNSO participants in the battles include Ukraine’s nationalist Svoboda (Freedom) party leader Oleg Tyagnibok and leader of the Pravy Sektor (Right Sector) Dmitry Yarosh – as well as Vladimir Mamalyga, Igor Mazur, Valery Bobrovich, Dmitry Korchinsky, Andrey Tyagnibok and other members not yet identified, Markin said.

A criminal investigation has been opened, and Markin said that UNA-UNSO members will be prosecuted depending on the role each of them played in the hostilities.

UNA-UNSO, or the Ukrainian National Assembly - Ukrainian People's Self-Defense, is a far-right political organization in Ukraine. Its political wing is the UNA, while UNSO is a self-defense paramilitary force. The UNA was established in 1990 and led by opposition figure Dmitry Korchinsky. In 1991 squads of the UNSO consisting of Ukrainian Soviet army veterans who fought in Afghanistan were created in Kiev. The party participated in the 2012 Ukrainian parliamentary election, but failed to win any seats.

“They are suspected of committing crimes under parts 1 and 2 of Article 209 of the Russian Criminal Code,” he said. This article deals with penalties for creating an armed group or gang with the purpose of attacking citizens, leading such a group and participating in attacks committed by the group.

On March 5, Russia put Yarosh on an international wanted list and charged him with inciting terrorism. The far-right leader called for Russia’s most wanted terrorist, Doku Umarov, to act against the country according to an address posted on the Right Sector’s page in the Russian VKontakte social network. Yarosh later claimed the message was faked and that his blog had been hacked.

Earlier in the month, Russia’s Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against Yarosh, put him on an international wanted list and charged him with inciting terrorism. If the Maidan leader is indicted he could face up to seven years in prison. The central Russian district court has sanctioned Yarosh’s arrest in absentia on March 12.

On Saturday, Yarosh confirmed that he intends to run for president of Ukraine while transforming his movement into a political party. His Right Sector movement was been reportedly very active in the violence that led to the deposition of President Viktor Yanukovich.