Russian courts sentence 135 people linked to 2023 antisemitic airport riot
Mob attacked plane landing from Israel in first weeks of war with Hamas; Dagestan region has seen uptick of antisemitism since war began
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MOSCOW, Russia — Russian courts sentenced 135 people to lengthy prison sentences in connection with a mass antisemitic riot in October 2023 at an airport in the predominantly Muslim Dagestan region, the country’s Investigative Committee said on Friday.
Hundreds of rioters stormed an airport in the city of Makhachkala, where a plane from Tel Aviv had just arrived, amid unrest in the North Caucasus over Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, which had begun a few weeks earlier when the terror group launched the October 7 massacre.
Investigators said they completed probes into the participation of 139 in the events.
Three additional people, whom they say had organized the riots via posts on a Telegram channel, were put on Russia’s wanted list.
The 135 convicted people were given prison terms ranging from six and a half to 15 years for participating in mass riots and other crimes. Investigators did not name the people or say how they pleaded.
In January, four members of the mob were sentenced to a decade in a penal colony. In August, five rioters were sentenced to jail terms ranging from six to nine years.
Video footage at the time showed the protesters, mostly young men, waving Palestinian flags, breaking down glass doors and running through the airport shouting “Allahu Akbar” (God is great).
More than 20 people were injured before security forces could contain the unrest. No passengers on the plane were hurt.
Russian President Vladimir Putin blamed the West and Ukraine for the unrest, without providing evidence. Kyiv denied any role, and the United States strongly condemned the violence.
The Republic of Dagestan has seen notable amounts of antisemitism since the war between Israel and Hamas broke out.
Last July, Jewish graves in the area were destroyed, though authorities said they were damaged in a traffic accident.
Last June, 22 people were killed by Islamic State-linked terrorists in an attack that targeted two synagogues and two churches.
The Times of Israel Community.