The Supreme Court of Daghestan has issued sentences in absentia against three individuals linked to the October 2023 antisemitic riot at Makhachkala airport. The rulings, delivered on April 2, 2026, concerned those accused of organizing the disturbance. Ex-MP Ilya Ponomarev, preacher Israel Akhmednabiev, known as Abu Umar Sasitlinsky, and activist Abakar Abakarov received these sentences.
Ponomarev was given a 19-year prison term, Akhmednabiev a 16-year sentence, and Abakarov a 15-year sentence. Notably, reports indicated that Abakarov’s death was recorded in Istanbul in October 2025. In March 2022, Ponomarev, designated a terrorist by Russia, alongside Akhmednabiev and Abakarov, along with other unidentified participants, formed a group aiming to destabilize Russia’s socio-political climate through the discrediting of authorities and the promotion of interethnic and interfaith conflict.
Ponomarev was identified as the leader of the “Utro Daghestan” Telegram channel, responsible for fund distribution, coordination, and agitation. Akhmednabiev served as the ideological leader, while Abakarov functioned as the channel’s founder and administrator, publishing relevant content. The channel was blocked in November 2023.
The unrest at Makhachkala airport began following the 7 October Hamas attacks and the commencement of the Gaza war, triggered by the arrival of a flight from Israel at Uytash Airport. A crowd, displaying anti-Israeli signs and slogans, breached security and engaged in a riot, resulting in over 20 injuries and property damage estimated at over ₽24 million ($307 million). The Investigative Committee alleges that 142 people are implicated in the “airport case,” with 139 already sentenced according to RFE/RL.
Abakar Abakarov, a Daghestani activist, was found deceased in Turkey, having been linked to the Telegram channel accused of organizing the 2023 airport protests. These sentences were issued in absentia, reflecting the individuals’ current locations.
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The Supreme Court of Dagestan has handed down sentences against three individuals, tried in absentia, for their alleged involvement in orchestrating the antisemitic incident at Makhachkala airport. Th