Nur-Pashi Kulayev, Beslan terrorist. Photo courtesy AP.

Nur-Pashi Kulayev was one the militants who attacked School No. 1 in the southern Russian town on Sept. 1, 2004 — the first day of classes — taking more than 1,100 children, parents and staff hostage and herding them into a gymnasium, which they rigged with explosives.

Of the 331 victims of the gymnasium explosion and ensuing gun battle, 186 were children. Most people died when the explosives tore through the school and Russian security forces stormed the building. Thirty-one suspected militants and 11 elite special forces soldiers also were killed, according to the AP report.

Many victims' relatives have accused the government of a cover-up. They say officials helped the militants cross heavily policed territory to reach Beslan, and that many victims died needlessly in a botched rescue.

Deputy Prosecutor-General Nikolai Shepel, who led the government's case, said he was satisfied with the verdict. But victims' relatives were deeply critical of the trial, according to AP.

The Mothers of Beslan activist group accused prosecutors of carrying out a "superficial and one-sided investigation ... meant only to establish the terrorists' and Kulayev's guilt."

The group said investigators neglected to probe a chain of alleged government errors, including failure to take security measures despite a heightened danger of terrorist attacks; refusing to negotiate with the hostage-takers; underreporting the number of hostages; Russian forces' lack of preparation for storming the school; and the "uncontrolled use of tanks, flame-throwers, grenade-launchers and other weapons."

Relatives demand to know who bears the most responsibility: Kulayev and his 31 fellow militants or Russian officials whose negligence or even alleged complicity allowed the hostage-taking to happen, according to AP.

"I did not go to court to become convinced of Kulayev's guilt, but to reconstruct all the circumstances of the terrorist attack and find the truth," said Aneta Gadiyeva, whose daughter was killed. "But I did not learn anything new and did not get any answers."

The Associated Press quoted Judge Tamerlan Aguzarov as saying, "Kulayev deserves the death penalty but is sentenced to life in prison because a [capital punishment] moratorium is in place."