URALSK. Aug 7 (Interfax) - A special interregional criminal court in the West Kazakhstan region of Kazakhstan has handed down guilty verdicts to eight defendants who stood a closed-door trial on terrorism charges.
Defendant Akhatov was declared guilty of creating a terrorist group, leading it and taking part in its activities, and was sentenced to nine years in a maximum-security colony.
Tleubayev, Gubayev, Imangaliyev and Gabdulov received seven years in a maximum-security colony each.
Bakitov and brothers Karatoganov will serve six-year sentences in a standard-security colony.
In 2009-2011, Akhatov, aged 28, founded a terrorist group. They established contact with terrorists in Atyrau (the administrative center of the neighboring Atyrau region) and with the Jund Al-Khalifa extremist organization, and used various materials and medicines to make homemade explosive devices. The aim of the group was the introduction of the Sharia law and terrorism propaganda, according to the case materials.
The trial began in early June.