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Fight against Islamic state

Russian student who wanted to join IS says fell in love with recruiter

Varvara Karaulova, a student at Moscow State University, went missing on May 27, and on June 4 she was detained on the Turkish-Syrian border when she was reportedly planning to join the Islamic State

Varvara Karaulova Press office of the Lefortovsky District Court/TASS

Varvara Karaulova

© Press office of the Lefortovsky District Court/TASS

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Defense of Moscow student charged with recruiting for IS to appeal her arrest

MOSCOW, October 30. /TASS/. Moscow student Varvara Karaulova suspected of recruiting Russians to join the Islamic State terrorist group explained her actions not with political or religious views but with love for her recruiter.

"I could not resist and started correspondence with him," Karaulova was quoted as saying by a source close to the investigation.

Karaulova, a student at Moscow State University, went missing on May 27. On June 4, she was detained on the Turkish-Syrian border. She was reportedly planning to join the Islamic State.

Her recruiters were arrested on October 27, and on the next day Karaulova, who changed her name to Alexandra Ivanova, was also put behind bars on suspicion of recruiting Russians to join the Islamic State.

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