A Kyrgyz court has sentenced three men to long-term imprisonment for alleged involvement in an attack against the Chinese Embassy in Bishkek last year.
The Pervomaisky district court in Bishkek found on June 27 the three defenders in the case guilty of involvement in the attack and sentenced them from 10 to 18 years of imprisonment with confiscation of their property.
All three pleaded not guilty to charges of helping organize and finance the attack.
Their lawyer, Kurmanbek Tuybaev, told RFE/RL that he will appeal the verdicts.
On August 30, 2016, three Kyrgyz nationals were injured after a suicide bomber rammed his car into the Chinese Embassy compound and detonated an explosive device inside the vehicle.
According to investigators, the bombing was ordered by Sirojiddin Mukhtarov, also known as Abu Saloh, a native of the southern Kyrgyz region of Osh.
He is believed to be fighting against government forces in Syria alongside ethnic Uyghurs affiliated with the Al-Nusra Front extremist group.
