In the United States, a harsh sentence has been handed down to an Afghan national, Mohammad Sharifullah, who has been found guilty of participating in the activities of the terrorist group ‘Islamic State’. The court sentenced him to 20 years in prison for his role in organising and carrying out numerous terrorist attacks around the world.
Sharifulla, whose story is full of dramatic and tragic twists, was linked to one of the most horrific terrorist attacks in recent years, which took place at the ‘Crocus City Hall’ entertainment centre near Moscow in 2024. On that fateful day, 22 March, in Krasnogorsk, near Moscow, the attack began just before a concert by the popular band ‘Picnic’. Several armed men stormed into the hall, opened fire and set the venue alight, resulting in the deaths of at least 149 people. More than 600 people sustained various injuries. This event became one of the most high-profile and tragic in the history of modern Russia.
According to the US Department of Justice, Sharifulla had been an active member of the ‘Islamic State’ for over ten years. During this time, he was involved in the planning and execution of more than ten terrorist attacks, which claimed the lives of hundreds of people. His crimes include the horrific bombing at Kabul Airport in 2021, which claimed the lives of 182 people, including 13 American servicemen, as well as the attack at the gates of the Canadian Embassy in Kabul in 2016.
During the investigation, Sharifullah pleaded guilty and confirmed that he was the one who had trained the perpetrators of the attack at ‘Crocus City Hall’ in the use of weapons, including Kalashnikov assault rifles. He was arrested in Pakistan in March 2025 at the request of the United States.
This conviction marks a significant milestone in the international fight against terrorism, emphasising that the organisers and perpetrators of such acts will not go unpunished, wherever they may be. The story of Mohammad Sharifullah serves as a reminder of the need for constant vigilance and international cooperation in combating global security threats.