U.S. sentences ISIS-K member who aided Moscow concert hall attackers to 20 years in prison

In a U.S. court, Afghan citizen Mohammad Sharifullah was sentenced to 20 years in prison, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. He is affiliated with ISIS-K, a branch of the Islamic State active in Afghanistan. Sharifullah was charged with conspiring to finance and support a terrorist organization. He took part in over a dozen terrorist attacks worldwide.

Prosecutors detailed how Sharifullah aided in the organization of the 2021 bombings at Kabul’s airport during the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. Moreover, he provided the perpetrators of the 2024 Crocus City Hall attack with instructions on using Kalashnikov rifles and other weapons. Sharifullah remained in contact with the attackers during the March 22, 2024, assault.

The concert venue, located outside Moscow, was targeted ahead of a Picnic band performance. Gunmen stormed the complex, opened fire on attendees and staff, and subsequently set the venue ablaze. This resulted in the deaths of 150 individuals. ISIS-K claimed responsibility for the attack, while Russian authorities claimed the attackers acted in Ukraine’s best interests.

In March 2026, four of the direct perpetrators and eleven other defendants, considered accomplices, received life sentences. Other defendants were sentenced to terms ranging from 19 years and 11 months to 22 years and 10 months.