DUSHANBE -- A Tajik court Wednesday (November 21) sentenced the main suspect in the slayings of four foreign bicyclists in July in southern Tajikistan to life in prison, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) reported.
Hussein Abdusamadov was found guilty on nine criminal counts, including "murder with extreme violence", religious extremism and recruiting for illegal militant activities, a juror told RFE/RL.
The four foreign cyclists were killed July 29 by attackers who rammed a vehicle into their group and then stabbed them.
Abdusamadov is the only one of five accused attackers still alive. Security forces killed the other four. "Islamic State" (IS) claimed responsibility for the killings shortly after they occurred.
The closed-door proceeding included another 14 defendants who were accused of complicity rather than of direct participation in the killings.
