Azerbaijan jails two jihadists for fighting in Syria

Huseyn Mammadov and Nicat Abbasov, both Azerbaijani nationals, were found guilty of participating in the Syrian civil war as members of the IS.

The court sentenced Mammadov and Abbasov to 14 years and 15 years in prison, respectively.

Azerbaijan last year amended law to toughen punishment for those joining "illegal armed groups" abroad.

Hundreds of Azerbaijani nationals, mostly members of the Salafi community, have left for Syria to fight against the government of Bashar al-Assad.

Scores have been killed.

The former Soviet republic of 9.5 million people, sandwiched between Russia and Iran, is mostly Shite.