Anti-Semitic rioters in Muslim Russian region sentenced to prison
Ten men convicted of participating in an anti-Jewish riot in the Muslim-majority Dagestan Republic in southern Russia last year received lengthy prison sentences on Wednesday.
Two separate rulings in the southern city of Stavropol are the latest in a string of criminal cases relating to the unrest, spurred by pro-Palestinian sentiment in the early days of Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza.
In October 2023, a large mob chanting anti-Semitic slogans broke through the security perimeter of Makhachkala International Airport in the regional capital and ran onto the tarmac.
It was later determined that the rioters had believed rumors on Telegram and social media that a plane arriving from Israel was carrying “Jewish refugees.” The rioters clashed with security guards and police, paralyzed operations at the airport and caused extensive damage to the facility. However, they failed to board any aircraft or injure any passengers.
On Wednesday, a court in Stavropol sentenced seven men to between eight and nine years in prison for rioting and assaulting officials, the regional prosecutor’s office said in a statement.
According to the authorities, the men were motivated by “national and religious hatred.” As a result of their actions, the airport sustained damages worth over $233,000, its operations were “completely blocked,” and scheduled flights were cancelled or delayed.
Later the same day, another local court imposed similar sentences on three more convicts, the prosecutor’s office said.
In August, a court in the city of Armavir sentenced five men to up to nine years in jail for participating in the riots. A further 27 cases against 129 defendants will be heard in courts in southern Russia, according to the prosecutor general’s office.
Some officials suggested that the riot may have been incited from abroad. A month after the disturbance, Russian President Vladimir Putin said it had been inspired by Western intelligence services from the territory of Ukraine and was part of a broader effort to destabilize the world.
According to the head of the Republic of Dagestan, Sergey Melikov, the violence was sparked by fake news on the Utro Dagestan (‘Dagestan Morning’) Telegram channel, since exposed as a Ukrainian intelligence service project designed to stir ethnic and religious unrest in Russia.
The channel was founded by Ilya Ponomarev, a former Russian MP who fled to Kiev in 2014 after being charged with embezzlement. The channel has since been blocked by Telegram for inciting violence. The leadership of Dagestan and local Muslim clerics condemned the riot, with Melikov vowing “no forgiveness” for those involved in the storming of the airport.
