Varvara Karaulova — the Moscow student charged with attempting to join the Islamic State terrorist organization — has retracted her earlier confession, the RIA Novosti news agency reported Monday, citing Karaulova's lawyer.
"She was questioned again and she said that she never intended to join the Islamic State," lawyer Gadji Aliyev said, according to RIA Novosti.
Aliyev pointed out that Karaulova had confessed while represented by a court-appointed lawyer.
The 19-year old student — who recently changed her name to Alexandra Ivanova — was first detained at the Turkish-Syrian border on June 4, 2015.
A criminal case was not opened against Karaulova after the first attempt, but later that year, she was arrested and charged with a second attempt to join the militant group. In December, the court prolonged her detention until March 27.
The Islamic State is a terrorist organization banned in Russia.
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