A 20-year-old student from the University of World Languages of Uzbekistan has been sentenced to five years in prison for attempting to set fire to the Israeli embassy in Tashkent. Identified only as A.A., the student from the Fergana region carried out the attempted arson on October 19, 2023, in what authorities described as a politically motivated act of revenge.
According to court documents, the incident occurred around 4:30 a.m. when A.A. arrived at the Israeli embassy with a bag containing a bottle of kerosene, dumbbells, two boxes of matches, and pieces of fabric. His actions drew the attention of nearby law enforcement officers, prompting him to attempt to flee on his bicycle. However, he was apprehended and brought to the attention of the authorities.
Upon inspection of his bag, A.A. was found to be carrying the incendiary materials, which he intended to use to set fire to the embassy building. Despite being stopped by police, he managed to throw the bottle of kerosene and a dumbbell over the embassy wall before being apprehended by the National Guard.
In court, A.A. testified that his actions were motivated by videos depicting armed conflicts between Israel and Palestine in the Gaza Strip, which had incited feelings of hatred towards Israel. He admitted to intending to burn down the embassy as a form of protest against Israeli military actions in Palestine, particularly citing an incident where a hospital was allegedly bombed.
"I didn't intend to harm people or the embassy, I just wanted to protest because the state of Israel dropped a bomb on a hospital in Palestine. I realized that my actions were wrong," he stated during his court testimony.
The Yakkasaray District Court, in its judgment on April 19, convicted A.A. of terrorism under Article 155, part 1 of the Criminal Code, and sentenced him to five years in prison.
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