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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Eye On Boise

Uzbek man sentenced to 25 years on terror-related charges

An Uzbek refugee authorities say intended to kill personnel at a military base or civilians at crowded Fourth of July celebrations in downtown Boise, Idaho, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison. Fazliddin Kurbanov received the sentence Thursday; he will also face deportation proceedings after serving the prison sentence, the AP reports.

A federal jury in August convicted Kurbanov of conspiracy, attempting to support a terrorist organization and possession of bomb-making components; Kurbanov has maintained his innocence.

"Your honor," Kurbanov told U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge through an interpreter, "I'd like to say that I'm not a terrorist. I've never been a terrorist." But Lodge in handing down the sentence said Kurbanov "intended to commit jihad against the United States." You can read a full report here from AP reporter Keith Ridler; Kurbanov’s attorneys said they plan to appeal.



Betsy Z. Russell
Betsy Z. Russell joined The Spokesman-Review in 1991. She currently is a reporter in the Boise Bureau covering Idaho state government and politics, and other news from Idaho's state capital.

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