News / Russia

2 Russians imprisoned for funding Daesh

Tuesday, 29 December 2015 7:15 PM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 29 December 2015 7:18 PM ]

This file photo shows Takfiri Daesh militants at an undisclosed location in Syria.

A court in the Russian capital of Moscow has sentenced two people to more than five years in jail on charges of helping Daesh Takfiri terrorists.

Court spokeswoman Irina Zhirnova said on Tuesday that the two females in the southern Russian city of Astrakhan, identified as Yelena Arshakhanova and Saida Khalikova, were “accused of transferring funds to terrorists.”

Arshakhanova received a five-year-three-month jail term while Khalikova was sentenced to five years, six months behind bars.

According to the opposition Open Russia group, the 24-year-old Khalikova is accused of transferring 43,000 rubles (USD 594, 544 euros) to a Daesh-linked bank account, a charge that her lawyer has dismissed, saying she had sent the money for a friend and knew nothing about its final destination.

Moscow launched a campaign against the Takfiri Daesh terrorists and other militant groups in Syria on September 30 upon a request from the Damascus government.

Hundreds of Daesh terrorists reportedly come from Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), an organization of former Soviet Republics.

Figures recently released by the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, also known as the FSB, showed that nearly 2,900 Russians are fighting or have fought with Daesh in Iraq and Syria.

In recent months, the Daesh militant group has expanded its presence in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The group is also using a sophisticated social media campaign to woo local Taliban and other militants.

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