Kyrgyz Court Jails Members Of Terrorist Group

BISHKEK -- A Bishkek district court has sentenced nine people convicted of being members of a terrorist group.

On July 19, the court handed down life sentences to three men for the membership in the Jaishul Mahdi (Army of the Righteous Ruler) group, a domestic Kyrgyz organization blamed for a bombings and attempted bombings at the end of 2010 and in early 2011.

Four other members received prison sentences of 23 years and two were imprisoned for 22 years.

The nine were also ordered to pay compensation to the Bishkek mayor's office for the damage their explosives did to a sports complex.

Jaishul Mahdi activities appear to have ended in Kyrgyzstan after a shoot-out with security forces in January 2011.

Its leader was killed and more than a dozen members were captured.

With reporting by Fergananews.com