A court in Kazakhstan's northwestern city of Aqtobe has sentenced a man to 12 years in prison after convicting him on terrorism charges.
Aqtobe's Court No 2 on October 25 found Nurlan Omirbekov guilty of fomenting terrorism and religious extremism, kidnapping, robbery, extortion, and inciting hatred. It sentenced him the same day.
Two co-defendants were convicted of assisting Omirbekov in kidnapping and were sentenced to eight years in jail each.
Investigators say Omirbekov planned to join the Islamic State terrorist organization in Syria.
In June, 25 alleged Islamic militants carried out a series of attacks in Aqtobe that left five civilians and three members of Kazakhstan's security forces dead.
Security forces killed 18 gunmen and arrested several others.
In 2011, a resident of Aqtobe carried out what was described as the first-ever suicide bombing in Kazakhstan.
