135 Sentenced in Dagestan Airport Riot Related to Anti-Israel Protests

Makhachkala, Dagestan, Russia — On October 31, 2023, Russian courts sentenced 135 individuals to lengthy prison terms for their involvement in a violent riot at an airport in Dagestan. This unrest followed the arrival of a plane from Tel Aviv, amid growing tensions related to Israel’s actions against Hamas in Gaza. The Russian Investigative Committee revealed the latest sentencing on July 18, 2025.

In total, 142 individuals were investigated for their roles in the October riot, while 139 were charged. Three alleged organizers remain on Russia’s wanted list after inciting the violence through social media. The convicted varied from six and a half to 15 years in prison for participating in mass riots.

During the October incident, protests erupted as crowds displayed Palestinian flags and shouted slogans, breaking glass doors and causing chaos at the airport. Authorities reported over 20 injuries, including among law enforcement, although no passengers aboard the plane were harmed.

Commenting on the unrest, President Vladimir Putin suggested international influence played a part, specifically alluding to Kyiv‘s involvement, a claim dismissed by both Ukraine and the U.S., which condemned the violence.

Subsequently, in July 2025, a Stavropol Regional Court convicted seven residents of Dagestan in connection with the anti-Semitic airport riot, handing them prison terms of 14 to 15 years. They faced charges for organizing riots, property damage, and violence against law enforcement.

The total number of convicted individuals now stands at 129, with sentences ranging from four and a half to over 10 years issued since the unrest. Local advocates claim the sentences have become excessively standardized, indicating a worrying trend in the region.

Though defendants argued that their presence at the airport was merely coincidental and not violent, the courts have uniformly treated all cases as connected to hatred towards Israelis, complicating individual defenses.

This case has drawn significant attention, prompting the investigation into 142 individuals, among which 135 have faced arrest, while seven remain sought by authorities. The judicial proceedings have largely taken place outside Dagestan, aiming for impartiality in a deeply contentious legal environment.