A resident of Siberia's Krasnoyarsk region has been sentenced to more than two years in prison for attempting to join the ranks of the Islamic State militant group, the regional Prosecutor's Office said Thursday in an online statement.
The man, 24, was detained by the Federal Security Service (FSB) in June at Moscow's Vnukovo Airport where he was planning to board a flight to the Turkish city of Istanbul. From Turkey, he wanted to cross the border into Syria and join the Islamic State, the statement said.
A Moscow district military court on Wednesday sentenced the man, who had previous military training, to two years and two months in prison for attempting to join an illegal organization, the statement said.
President Vladimir Putin told a summit of CIS countries in Kazakhstan late last week that between 5,000 and 7,000 CIS nationals were fighting with Islamic State, BBC Russia reported.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
