Budanov is the highest-ranking officer charged with Chechen crimes

Russia's Supreme Court upheld Yuri Budanov's 2003 conviction saying his defence team did not present enough evidence to warrant a retrial.

Budanov is the most senior Russian officer put on trial for a crime against a Chechen civilian.

Human rights groups have documented thousands of cases of alleged abuses in Chechnya, but convictions are rare.

BUDANOV TIMELINE Mar 2000: Elsa Kungayeva is killed Dec 2002: Budanov acquitted on grounds of insanity Feb 2003: Supreme Court orders re-trial July 2003: Budanov convicted Oct 2003: Supreme Court upholds conviction

Elsa Kungayeva, 18, was taken from her home to a Russian military barracks in March 2000. While in custody, she was strangled.

The colonel admitted in court to killing her in a fit of rage during interrogation, because he was convinced she was a Chechen rebel sniper. But he argued he was temporarily insane at the time of the crime.

He was acquitted in a military court in 2002, but the decision was later overturned, and a fresh trial last year resulted in a guilty verdict.

'Appeal to Putin'

The defence team's first appeal against the sentence, on the grounds of Budanov's mental state, failed last October.

Following the Supreme Court's second rejection on Monday, Budanov's lawyer Pavel Astakhov said he would submit a fresh directly to the court's president.

"If he rejects us, we reserve the right to ask President Vladimir Putin to intervene," Mr Astakhov said.