Tajikistan sentences 13 members of banned Islamic group
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 17 February 2015 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Tajikistan sentences 13 members of banned Islamic group, 17 February 2015, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/550940bd1b.html [accessed 4 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
February 17, 2015
By RFE/RL's Tajik Service
DUSHANBE – A Tajik court has sent to prison 13 members of a banned Islamic group for recruiting residents of the northern province of Sughd to fight alongside militants in Syria.
The Supreme Court said on February 17 that the 13, aged between 26 and 42, were sentenced to prison terms between 9 and 12 years.
The men were arrested in November and charged with organizing a criminal group, illegal weapons possession, and membership in an extremist organization, known as Jamaat Ansarullah.
Investigators believe Jamaat Ansarullah is a branch of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU).
The IMU, which is active in Afghanistan and Pakistan, is on the U.S. State Department's list of foreign terrorist organizations and banned in Central Asian countries and Russia.
It is believed to have links with Al-Qaeda and Taliban militants.
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
