Khursheda Sultonova was stabbed to death in St. Petersburg in February, 2004
The defendants, whose names have not been released for legal reasons, were mostly teenagers at the time of the brutal attack, which is widely seen as one of the worst racially motivated crimes in Russia. Only one was charged with the murder, whereas the others were charged with assaulting Khursheda, her father and 11-year-old cousin.
A lawyer representing the victim's family, Natella Ponomareva, said the jury had decided that the real murderers were still at large. The investigation into the attack established that 11 people had taken part in the assault.
Prosecutor Svetlana Efimenko said hearings would continue Friday to focus on any factors that could influence the sentencing of those convicted today, adding that the jury would not be involved in this process.
The prosecutor said the sentences could be handed down next week.
