UFA, August 4 (RIA Novosti, Svetlana Ivanova) - The Bashkir Supreme Court has sentenced nine members of the Sunni Islamic Khizb ut-Takhrir al-Islami extremist organization to 4.5-8 years of imprisonment.
The suspects pleaded guilty to charges on terrorism and the illegal purchase and storage of weapons. They pleaded innocent on charges of formation of an organized criminal group and instigation of religious hatred. They did admit to spreading propaganda literature.
Khizb ut-Takhrir al-Islami was formed in Uzbekistan in the mid of 20th century to draw Muslims back to Shariat (the Muslim personal law) by creating a Khalifate, or Islamic state, through Jihad, or Holy War.
The organization later broadened its influence to Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.
