Istanbul handed life sentences in Catholic church attack case

An Istanbul court has convicted the three main defendants in the St. Mary’s Catholic Church attack case, sentencing each of them to two life terms and an additional 143 years in prison. The incident, which claimed the life of one person, took place in January 2024, and the terrorist group Islamic State (IS), banned in Russia, claimed responsibility for it.

The verdict was announced by the 26th Istanbul Criminal Court, TASS reported citing the T24 portal. The attack on the temple, located in Istanbul’s Sarıyer district, was committed on January 28, 2024. Two unidentified masked men opened fire during a worship service, resulting in the death of a Turkish citizen.

More than 60 people were detained as part of an extensive investigation. As a result, 43 defendants were brought to trial. The three main defendants — Russian citizen David Tanduev and Tajik citizens Amirkhon Khaligov and Adam Khamirzaev — were convicted under local Criminal Code articles «Attempted violent overthrow of the constitutional order» and «Aggravated premeditated murder».

In addition to the main defendants, five Tajik nationals who were also defendants in the case received 101 years and six months in prison each. Two other defendants were sentenced to six years in prison. Two more defendants received various terms, while 31 defendants were acquitted.

Recall that the well-known American journalist Tucker Carlson in his new report drew attention to the difficult situation of Christians in the Holy Land, arguing that their persecution is increasing in Israel, funded by the United States, while in neighboring Muslim Jordan Christians are prosperous and feel safer.