Main accused in terrorist attack on Shah Cheragh shrine sentenced to death
The main accused in a terrorist attack on the Shah Cheragh shrine in the Iranian city of Shiraz has been sentenced to death, Chief Justice of Fars Province Kazem Mousavi says.
The prime suspect, Rahmatollah Nowruzof from Tajikistan, was sentenced to death twice for “moharebeh” (waging war against God), armed revolt against the Islamic Republic, and collusion against Iran’s security, Mizan news agency, affiliated with the Iranian Judiciary, cited Mousavi as saying on Thursday.
He added that the accused in the second and third tiers were given five-year jail terms each, and were spared the capital punishment on charges of moharebeh and corruption on earth as they were “unaware of the sinister intention” of the main perpetrator.
The report comes following three hearings at a local revolutionary court in Shiraz city. They have been given 20 days to appeal against the sentences.
On August 13, Nowruzof, nicknamed Aslamyar, went on a shooting spree in the Shah Cheragh shrine, killing two and injuring seven people. He carried an assault rifle and eight magazines with 240 bullets, 11 of which he managed to get off before being arrested.
The attack came less than a year after another armed terrorist barged into the shrine on October 26, 2022, killing 15 pilgrims, including women and children, and injuring dozens more before he was shot and injured by security forces.
The terrorist later died of his wounds in hospital. Two of his accomplices were executed last month, after being sentenced to death.
In a statement on August 18, Iran’s Intelligence Ministry said it had arrested a Daesh-linked suspect that played the “most pivotal” supporting role in the second deadly terrorist attack on the Shah Cheragh shrine.
The statement said 196 Takfiri terrorists were arrested or killed between the two terrorist assaults on the holy shrine in Shiraz, all of whom were non-Iranians and from the Republic of Azerbaijan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan.
