06 May 2020, 18:42
Two residents of Chechnya suspected of links with IS
A Grozny resident and a resident of the Sernovodsk District of Chechnya left for Syria, where they joined the "Islamic State" (IS) a terrorist organization, banned in Russia by the court, and participated in hostilities, investigators assert.
The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was informed at the Chechen Prosecutor's Office that the Chechen branch of the Russian FSB (Federal Security Bureau) had established that in 2013, both men secretly went to the Middle East and joined the IS. They are suspected of taking part in an illegal armed formation (IAF); they face 15 years in prison.
According to the "SM-News" agency, the Grozny resident is 20 years old; the other one is 34.
In December 2019, Victoria Gurevich, a researcher at the Centre for Conflict Analysis and Prevention, a doctoral student at the Ohio State University (USA), noted that despite the loss of IS' control over Middle East territories and a decrease in recruitment activities, the prevention of violent extremism remains important. "Although the direct source of the threat has allegedly disappeared, the factors that prompt people to join the terrorist grouping are still in place," Ms Gurevich believes.
This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on May 6, 2020 at 00:17 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.
Author: Nikolay Petrov Source: CK correspondent
