The extradited native of Karachay-Cherkessia has been sentenced to 18 years in a colony.

The court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced Ruslan Botashev, a native of Karachay-Cherkessia, to 18 years in a strict regime colony, finding him guilty of participating in the activities of a terrorist organization in Syria and training in a militants' camp.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", Ruslan Botashev, a native of Karachay-Cherkessia, whose extradition from France was demanded by the Prosecutor General's Office for several years, was extradited to Russia. Russian security forces consider Ruslan Botashev a militant of the terrorist organization "Islamic State", which is banned in Russia. According to their data, Botashev has been participating in combat operations in Syria since 2015.

The Southern District Military Court issued a sentence to Ruslan Botashev. According to the investigation and the court, in the fall of 2014, Botashev arrived in Syria at a militants' training camp, underwent training in physical, psychological, tactical, and combat preparation, as well as in the handling of firearms and ammunition. After completing the training, he voluntarily joined the terrorist organization "Islamic State", which is banned in Russia, and swore allegiance in early 2015. In 2015, he participated in combat operations against the government armed forces of the SAR and provided cover for engineering units during the mining of underground tunnels in Aleppo, the court's press service reported today.

The court sentenced him to 18 years of imprisonment in a strict regime correctional colony. The case against him was considered under part 2 of article 205.5 (participation in the activities of a terrorist organization) and article 205.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (Training for the purpose of carrying out terrorist activities).

Ruslan Botashev is 47 years old, he is a native of the village of Marukha in the Zelenchuksky District of Karachay-Cherkessia (at the time of Botashev's birth in 1978, it was part of the Stavropol Territory), according to the record in the register of terrorists and extremists of Rosfinmonitoring.