ALMATY -- A court in Almaty has found Sayan Khairov, 38, guilty of charges of terrorism, abduction, illegal arms possession, and illegal border crossing.
He was sentenced on November 7 to 11 years in jail.
Khairov pleaded not guilty to most of the charges, confessing only to illegal border-crossing.
In August 2012, the bodies of at least 11 people -- forest rangers and family members -- were found in Ile-Alatau National Park.
Officials said later that several suspected Islamist terrorists subsequently killed by security forces near Almaty could have been involved in the mass killing.
Khairov was captured later and accused of being a leader of the group.
One more suspect allegedly involved in the group's activities, Zaurbek Botabaev, remains at large.
He was sentenced on November 7 to 11 years in jail.
Khairov pleaded not guilty to most of the charges, confessing only to illegal border-crossing.
In August 2012, the bodies of at least 11 people -- forest rangers and family members -- were found in Ile-Alatau National Park.
Officials said later that several suspected Islamist terrorists subsequently killed by security forces near Almaty could have been involved in the mass killing.
Khairov was captured later and accused of being a leader of the group.
One more suspect allegedly involved in the group's activities, Zaurbek Botabaev, remains at large.
