FIVE CRIMEA RESIDENTS SENTENCED TO JAIL TERMS FOR TERRORISM

The Southern District Military Court in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don sentenced five local residents to terms of 13 to 14 years in a strict regime colony for being members of Hizb ut-Tahrir al-Islami terrorist organization, banned in the Russian Federation. This was reported by the press service of the court.

They were found guilty under Article 205.5 (“Participation in the Activities of a Terrorist Organization”), and Article 30 and Article 278 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“Preparation for a Violent Seizure of Power”).

“It was established that in 2016 the defendants joined a cell of the banned Hizb ut-Tahrir al-Islami (“Party of Islamic Liberation”) terrorist organization that was operating in the Republic of Crimea,” the statement says.

Acting as part of the organization, the defendants took an active part in the activities of the cell, including secret meetings, where they studied the ideological materials and literature of Hizb ut-Tahrir, acquired special knowledge and campaigning skills in order to disseminate narratives among the population and persuade other people to join the organization, the court explained.