A participant in the Makhachkala airport riots was sentenced to seven years in prison
Bakhtiyar Radzhabov was sentenced to seven years in prison by a court in the Stavropol Territory for participating in an anti-Israeli pogrom at the Makhachkala airport. He was found guilty of participating in mass riots and violating transport security regulations.
According to the court's ruling, the motive for his actions was found to be ethnic and religious hatred and hostility toward Israeli citizens. The Russian Investigative Committee reports that 142 people are involved in this case, 136 of whom have already been sentenced to prison terms.
On the night of October 30, 2024, large-scale riots occurred at the Makhachkala airport. People blocked roads, broke into the terminal, ran onto the runway, and surrounded an arriving plane from Israel. Those gathered were demonstrating against Israel's actions in Palestine.
Human rights activists previously pointed out the bias in the trial: the defendants could have included people who did not participate in the airport storming. Relatives of many of the defendants stated that they considered the sentences too harsh and unfair. Eleven prosecution witnesses were unable to identify the defendants.
