10:35, 5 May 2017

Abdurakhman Usmanov sentenced to 16 years of imprisonment

The entrance to the North-Caucasian District Military Court. Photo by Konstantin Volgin

The North-Caucasian District Military Court has found Abdurakhman Usmanov, a resident of Dagestan, guilty of involvement in the terrorist organization "Islamic State" (IS) banned in Russia.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on May 4, the public prosecutor requested the Court to sentence Abdurakhman Usmanov to 22 years of imprisonment in a high-security penal colony and to impose on the defendant a fine of 100,000 roubles and two years of restriction of liberty after release. The defendant's advocate claimed inadmissible evidence in the basis of the charges. In his final speech, Abdurakhman Usmanov himself once again pleaded not guilty.

According to investigators, in the summer of 2014, Abdurakhman Usmanov left for Syria, joined a training centre of the IS and for more than a year was engaged in protection of the positions of militants, supply of necessities logistics, and provision of financial and legal support to families of militants. The defendant's alibi was confirmed by a number of witnesses. The defendant claims that he was tortured after his detention. The Court refused to verify the defendant's claim.

Today, the North-Caucasian District Military Court has found Abdurakhman Usmanov guilty under three Articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and sentenced him to 16 years of imprisonment in a high-security penal colony and a year and a half of restriction of liberty.

Abdurakhman Usmanov laughed after the pronouncement of the verdict.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.

Author: Konstantin Volgin

Source: CK correspondent