Support The Moscow Times!

Russian Courts Sentence 15 Over Anti-Israeli Airport Riot

Russian National Guard vans parked outside the airport in Makhachkala. AFP

Russian courts have sentenced 15 anti-Israeli rioters who stormed an airport in the North Caucaus republic of Dagestan to short terms in prison.

Hundreds of protesters overran Dagestan's Makhachkala International Airport on Sunday, charging onto the tarmac and jumping onto an airplane as they searched for Israelis rumored to have arrived on a flight from Tel Aviv. 

Courts in Dagestan, a Muslim-majority region, have since sentenced 15 people to between two and ten days in prison for their involvement in the riot, state media reported.

Two more were ordered to complete 60 hours of forced labor, the TASS news agency said.

Several police officers were injured in Sunday's riot at the airport and more than 80 people were initially detained.

Officials had pledged to severely punish those who took part in the riots. 

Dagestan's Governor Sergei Melikov called Sunday night's violence a "gross violation of the law" and a "stab in the back" of Dagestani soldiers fighting in Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and other officials have claimed that Ukraine and the West were behind the calls to riot, while Kyiv said the violence was a symptom of Russia's "deep-rooted anti-semitism."

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

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.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more