ROSTOV-ON-DON, July 30. /TASS/. The North Caucasus District Military Court on Tuesday sentenced seven gunmen to between 9 and 11 years in jail over the 2017 murder of police officers in Astrakhan, southern Russia, a TASS correspondent reported from the courtroom.

Namik Farkhad ogly Agarzayev, Akhmed Magamedov and Atlukhan Nasrulaev have been sentenced to 11 years in jail, Magomed Khitanayev to 10 years, Abrik Nasrulayev, Rasul Usmanov and Ifrat Dzalilov to 9 years behind bars, the judge said.

Lawyer Ramazan Osmanov said the defense team would appeal the verdict citing the lack of evidence.

A criminal investigation was launched against 11 suspected organizers and members of an illegal armed group, who attacked traffic police and the National Guard officers in April 2017 in Astrakhan, murdering two police officers.

According to investigators, in autumn 2016-April 2, 2017 two members of a terrorist group in Russia set up an illegal armed unit in Astrakhan. On April 4, 2017 they staged a road accident together with two accomplices and called traffic police. Then they murdered the officers, took their weapons and fled the scene.

Overnight to April 6, 2017 the men were stopped for security checks, but they opened fire, injuring three National Guard members. One of the attackers was killed by a return fire, and three more perpetrators were killed during the clash.

The North Caucasus District Military Court had earlier considered the criminal case but returned it to the prosecutors to correct mistakes in the indictment.