In the US, a sentence has been handed down to an Afghan militant linked to the "Crocus" terrorist attack

In the US, a sentence has been announced for an Afghan militant linked to the "Crocus" terrorist attack

Afghan militant Mohammad Sharifullah has received a 20-year prison sentence in the US for participating in the activities of "Wilayat Khorasan" — the Afghan branch of the terrorist organization "Islamic State" (IS). US authorities also claimed he was involved in organizing the 2024 terrorist attack at the "Crocus City Hall" near Moscow.

The sentence was handed down on September 16. According to the US Department of Justice, he was found guilty of participating in a multi-year effort to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.

According to the investigation, during the preparation and execution of the attack on "Crocus City Hall," Sharifullah provided the attackers with instructions on handling Kalashnikov assault rifles and other weapons. In addition, he maintained contact with them during the attack.

In March 2025, the US Department of Justice reported that during an FBI interrogation, Sharifullah confessed that, on behalf of "Wilayat Khorasan," he had instructed the participants of the attack on the concert hall near Moscow.

According to US authorities, Sharifullah had been associated with the terrorist organization for nearly ten years. From 2016 until his arrest in 2025, he participated in more than ten attacks and performed various tasks: conducting reconnaissance, transporting suicide bombers and weapons, relaying messages between group members, and preparing promotional materials.

One of the episodes for which he was prosecuted in the US was the attack near the Kabul airport in August 2021. According to the US Department of Justice, Sharifullah was tasked with checking the route to the airport for checkpoints. After he reported that the road was clear, an explosion occurred at the Abbey Gate.

As a result of that attack, 13 US service members and more than 160 civilians were killed.

Sharifullah was detained in 2025 in the Afghan-Pakistani border area and subsequently brought to the US. The US White House previously stated that during interrogations, he confessed to involvement in the Kabul attack and also spoke about other attacks in Russia and Iran.

The final verdict in the "Crocus City Hall" terrorist attack case was delivered by the Western District Military Court on March 12, 2026. Fifteen defendants received life sentences. Among them were the four direct perpetrators — Shamsidin Fariduni, Dalerjon Mirzoev, Mukhammadsobir Fayzov, and Saidakrami Rachabalizoda — as well as a group of 11 accomplices. One of them, Yakubjon Yusufzoda, who was sentenced to life imprisonment, later committed suicide in a pre-trial detention center in Moscow.