New York court gives ISIS sniper fought in Syria life sentence
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – On Wednesday, a federal court in Brooklyn, New York, sentenced a man to life in prison for providing material support to the Islamic State (ISIS) and fighting within its ranks in Syria.
The ISIS member, Ruslan Maratovich Asainov, a 46-year-old US citizen, “abandoned his family and country to fight for ISIS and train others to carry out its reign of terror, a cause to which he remains devoted to this day,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen.
US Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York said, “The defendant committed his life to that terrorist organization and became a lethal sniper for ISIS in Syria, training many other ISIS members to shoot to kill as ISIS waged its brutal, barbaric campaign. To this day, the defendant maintains his unrepentant allegiance to that evil cause.”
In January 2014, Asainov traveled to northern Syria in the area of Aleppo and joined ISIS as a fighter. For five years, Asainov fought in numerous battles within ISIS ranks. Asainov became an ISIS sniper trainer, with 100 students estimated to be trained under his tutelage.
After many years with the extremist group, Asainov was at last captured in Syria after the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) defeated ISIS in Baghouz in March 2019, the last stronghold of the group. Just before being detained, Asainov discarded his rifle and destroyed his cell phone.
Asainov admitted to FBI agents that he had took part in many battles with ISIS as a warrior and sniper. During his trial, the defendant stressed his allegiance to ISIS to court personnel, saying that the radical group would rise again.