Dagestani resident sentenced to 13 years in prison for links with Syrian militants

The Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don has sentenced Azamat Aivazov, a Dagestani resident, to 13 years in a high-security colony, having found him guilty of links with Syrian militants.

Azamat Aivazov, 33, a native of Buynaksk, was accused of aiding terrorism, participating in an illegal armed formation (IAF) and a terrorist organization, as well as of training in terrorist activities.

"Since 2015, in the territory of Syria, the defendant took part in the activities of an IAF, a subdivision of the "Islamic State" (IS)*, a terrorist organization banned in Russia. Since March 2015, in the city of Raqqa, for 20-30 days, as a member of the above IAF, he was trained to carry out terrorist activities, and obtained knowledge and skills of handling firearms," the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told at the press service of the Southern District Military Court.

According to the prosecution, in 2016, Aivazov, "having misled his mother, provided her with bank details of IS* members, to which she transferred more than 377,000 roubles."

Aivazov was detained on February 8, 2021, on his return to Russia. He has pleaded guilty.