US court sentences ISIS-K member who aided Moscow concert hall attackers to 20 years
A U.S. court sentenced Afghan citizen Mohammad Sharifullah to 20 years in prison over ties to ISIS-K and his role in aiding the 2024 attack on Crocus City Hall near Moscow. The Justice Department said he was involved in more than a dozen terrorist attacks worldwide.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced that a federal court sentenced Afghan citizen Mohammad Sharifullah to 20 years in prison. Sharifullah is a member of Islamic State-Khorasan, known as ISIS-K, a branch of the Islamic State that operates mainly in Afghanistan.
He was charged with conspiring to finance and support a terrorist organization. Prosecutors said Sharifullah took part in more than a dozen terrorist attacks around the world.
Links to two major attacks
According to prosecutors, Sharifullah helped organize the 2021 bombings at Kabul's airport during the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan. He also provided the perpetrators of the 2024 Crocus City Hall attack with instructions on using Kalashnikov rifles and other weapons, and remained in contact with them while the attack was underway.
The attack on the Crocus City Hall concert venue near Moscow took place on March 22, 2024, when gunmen stormed the complex ahead of a concert by the band Picnic. The attackers opened fire on concertgoers and staff before setting the venue on fire. A total of 150 people were killed.
ISIS-K claimed responsibility for the attack, while Russian authorities alleged the attackers had acted in Ukraine's interest.
Sentences in Russia
In March 2026, four direct perpetrators of the attack and 11 other defendants considered accomplices by investigators were sentenced to life in prison in Russia. Four additional defendants received prison terms ranging from 19 years and 11 months to 22 years and 10 months.
