A court in Russia's North Caucasus has sentenced a Daghestani Islamic cleric to prison on terrorism charges.
A Russian rights group, however, has defended Magomednabi Magomedov and described him as a political prisoner.
The North Caucasus Regional Military Court on October 24 sentenced Magomedov to five years in jail after finding him guilty of inciting hatred and making public calls for terrorist activities.
Magomedov was detained in April after he visited a local police station Daghestan, demanding the immediate release of several local Muslims.
Police initially accused Magomedov of violating regulations over public religious sermons.
The Moscow-based Memorial human rights center recognized Magomedov as a political prisoner, saying that he never called for terrorism, but instead criticized local authorities for violating Muslims' rights.
Magomedov's lawyer said later that his client was beaten while in custody.