Seven participants in the riots at the Makhachkala airport received sentences from 14 to 15 years

A court in Stavropol sentenced seven participants in the riots at the Makhachkala airport, sentencing them to 14 to 15 years in a maximum security penal colony.

Mikail Razakov, Jamal Ibavov, Bashir Magomedov, Ilyas Nasuyev, Kamil Ibragimkhalilov, Ruslan Murtazaliev and Arslan Magomedov were found guilty of mass riots, breach of security and encroachment on the lives of law enforcement officers. In addition to the main term, they were sentenced to two years of restricted freedom.

The riots took place on October 29, 2023 and were associated with anti-Israeli sentiments. Hundreds of people broke into the Makhachkala airport, trying to find passengers on a transit flight from Tel Aviv. The crowd protested against Israel's actions in Palestine.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Dagestan reported that 1,500 people took part in the action, and criminal cases were opened against 142. More than 90 people received real terms in the "airport case".

Earlier, human rights activists pointed out the bias of the trial: among the accused there could have been those who did not participate in the storming of the airport. Relatives of many of the defendants said that they considered the sentences too harsh and unfair. 11 prosecution witnesses were unable to identify the defendants.

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