A Russian court has convicted a man of plotting a terrorist attack and sentenced him to 17 years in prison.
The Moscow Regional Court on April 24 found Robert Amerkhanov guilty on charges of preparing a terrorist attack, illegal possession of weapons and explosives, and banditry. It sentenced him the same day.
Another suspect in the case, Yulai Davletbayev, was sentenced to eight years in prison in January.
Amerkhanov and Davletbayev, both from the Bashkortostan region, were arrested in Moscow in 2013.
Authorities said the men confessed that they were instructed by the Islamic Party of Turkestan (IPT) to conduct a series of terrorist acts in Moscow and later to escape to Afghanistan.
The IPT is believed to have links to Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants. It has been banned in Russia and Central Asian countries and is on the U.S. State Department list of foreign terrorist organizations.
Based on reporting by TASS and RIA
